Former The Apprentice star James Hill has hit back at the suggestion that Lord Alan Sugar is “going soft” as the franchise goes on – and simply put it down to his “later years”.
Hill appeared on The Apprentice in 2015 and faced the wrath of Sugar and his firing finger early on in the series.
He put himself in charge of his team, Summit, in the challenge to choose the best products to sell at a rural event, but only took £4,757 compared to rivals Tenacity who managed £30,615.
Hill recently discussed his time on the show and revealed his thoughts as to whether the series would be around for years to come.
The reality show, which is currently in its 18th series, has faced some complaints over the format in 2024 as well as Sugar's pally attitude, with some yearning for the drama of yesteryear.
"Thank god #interiordesignmasters is back because #theapprentice just ain’t hitting like not used to," one complaint read on X, formerly Twitter, recently while a second similarly read: "I used to love the apprentice but I feel like it’s got a bit ridiculous."
James Hill starred in the 2015 series
BBC
Speaking to GB News on behalf of Heart Bingo, Hill said of Sugar amid the complaints: “Going back to my series, I thought he was awesome, I thought he was firm but fair.
“He praised you when you did well, give you a b*****ing when you’d not done well, I thought he was a down-to-earth, straight-talking guy.
"Whether he has become soft in his later years, most people seem to so it might be a good thing, who knows.
“I suppose that it's down to people still wanting to watch it, I suppose as long as Lord Sugar is on this planet and feels fit enough to do it.
James failed to lead his team to victory
BBC
“I know a lot of people are very fond of it and I do think it is a great show to have on TV, businesses, it is an important part of life.
“I am all for promoting shows that help people wanting to get into business and try and make something for themselves.”
During the recent series, many fans slammed Sugar after they felt he made the wrong choice when firing Onyeka Nweze.
The candidates were tasked with launching a new Formula E team including a brand, event launch and sponsorship.
Nweze pleaded to be put in the corporate team due to her skills, but she slipped up during her pitch and stumbled over words.
Virdi Singh Mazaria – who led the other team – also made a few mistakes during the pitch which included indicating the group had lost money and showing off their bizarre logo.
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Lord Sugar has faced some complaints in 2024
BBC
In the dreaded boardroom meeting, Nweze and Mazaria were brought back with the latter admitting she had “stumbled”, leaving Sugar no choice: “It is with regret that you’re fired.”
Fans were left bemused by Sugar’s decision, with one X user noting: “Wrong decision on #TheApprentice this week. Yes Onyeka stumbled but not one other person was shown to explain the ethos well and Virdi seems to have more lives than a cat.”
“I’ve acc had enough, Vardi is acc such a idiot, this guy can’t do anything right and he has the easiest jobs to do every week yet he still f***s it up, fire him man #TheApprentice,” a second fumed.
Another shared: “Boycotting the apprentice over that firing f*** that old man and his money #TheApprentice.” (sic)