Sir Alan Sugar / Lord Sugar
"I don't like liars. I don't like cheats. I don't like bullshitters. I don't like schmoozers. I don't like arselickers."
— Opening narration, series 1
- Berserk Button: He has several, which more often than not will get you fired if you set them off:
- Don't screw up a task if it's in the same field of business as your day job, or the business you want him to invest in. Similarly, if part of the task is similar to your day job then you should probably step up to do it, and certainly not refuse to do it when asked.
- Don't offer exclusivity on a product that you don't have the rights to.
- If he tells you he expects you to be the project manager of the next project, it's very unwise to ignore that suggestion.
- Don't bring someone into the boardroom for personal reasons, rather than business reasons. Likewise, don't bring someone in who'll advocate for you to stay.
- Don't disrespect your Project Manager. Season 1's Miranda and Season 5's Noorul learned that the hard way.
- It also goes without saying that it's really not a good idea to lie to him, try to blame others for your mistakes or try to take credit for stuff you didn't do, especially when he already knows full well how things played out. Doing so on top of other mistakes will almost definitely result in getting fired.
- He also really hates being interrupted by candidates or when they talk back to him in a defensive way.
- While he expects respect, he has no tolerance for ass kissers and people clearly trying to blow smoke or appeal to his ego, especially when it's to cover mistakes.
- Brutal Honesty: Doesn't hold back in cutting the candidate's down to size or expressing his honest views. Also lampshaded in the very first series where he is described as "Tough and straight talking." There's also a reason why he's called "Britain's most belligerent boss." On the flip side, he's just as willing to give honest praise and respect, even if he has to fire someone.
- Consummate Professional: May prefer candidates who are rough diamonds and have gone out to work for themselves, but it still doesn't alter his no nonsense attitude.
- Out of Focus: Despite being the host of the show, the only time the viewer sees him and indeed other hosts are at the beginning when he briefs the task of the week, and the end during the boardroom.
- Justified in later series because as he lampshades in Series 10 and 13, "I won't be working. You will be working. I will be advising and mentoring." and also, he has his advisors to report back to him. This trope is also justified in earlier series as well owing to his advisors reporting back to him.
- Rank Up: Was elevated to the House of Lords between Series 5 and 6, and was subsequently addressed as "Lord Sugar" rather than "Sir Alan."
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He's blunt and no nonsense but Lord Sugar is overall a fair leader who gives everyone as much leeway as he can, is clear about his directives and expectations and avoids making things personal as much as he can, even when he has to fire people. He's also perfectly willing to give praise and show respect to those who have earned it with hard work and skill or who take responsibility for their mistakes rather than blame others, even if he still has to fire them.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: He may not be the creator of The Apprentice, and by rules one team must win and another must lose. But in Series 11 and 12, Lord Sugar declared both teams losers, one by default and the other because of the Epic Fail of the task. The latter being a more perfect example of this trope:Lord Sugar: "I am not putting my name to either of these advertising campaigns! They're useless! Both totally, absolutely useless! I feel so angry! That not one of you geniuses came through and ran this thing properly! Never mind mad men, more like Demented Dimwits."
- There have also been occasions when he has brought back at least four people into the final boardroom.
- Self-Made Man: Started out selling TV aerials on the street.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Uses 'bloody' more or less as punctuation.
- Other words he has tendencies of using are variations of "shit" and "piss".
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Is always referred to by whatever titles he had; from 2005 to 2009, this was "Sir Alan" and since 2010, it has been "Lord Sugar".
- In fact, the only people who are allowed to call him by his first name are his advisors, both on the show and off it. Though Claude has called him "Lord Sugar" sometimes in external interviews.
- The Rival: Almost bordering on Arch-Enemy, Lord Sugar is this to Donald Trump. The two have frequently expressed their dislike for one another on Twitter and in interviews.
Nick Hewer (Series 1-10)
"Frankly returning to London with no sales is a bit like the three of them popping into that cat plane and taking off to join the Battle of Britain. They ain't got a chance."
- Deadpan Snarker: Perhaps the most deadpan seen on the show.
- Distracted by the Sexy: During Week 2 of Series 6, he was watching Synergy then led by would be winner, Stella English. He fits this trope because he was shown watching Stella pose for the team's "Cuuli" product and she was telling him not to watch her being photographed in a bikini.
- Ensemble Dark Horse: Of the advisors on The Apprentice, Nick has garnered further popularity on other shows such as Have I Got News for You and managed to combine the almost incompatible qualities of wit and Magnificent Bastard-like ability to fib on Would I Lie to You?.
- Reaction Shot: His facial expressions are legendary.
Margaret Mountford (Series 1-5)
"You studied the greats of human history, cherry picked their knowledge and as a result of that, your role model is David Beckham?"
- Commuting on a Bus: Was one of Lord Sugar's advisors from 2005 to 2009 when she left the show to begin studying for a PhD in Papyrology at UCL, then became an interviewer in Series 6 and stayed in that role until Series 9 where she left the show and remained away from the show.
- Deadpan Snarker: Not far behind Nick in this respect.
- Demoted to Extra: After leaving the boardroom, continued to appear in the interview round from series 6-9.
- Eye Take: Became famous for her raised eyebrow at candidate's stupidity.
Karren Brady / Baroness Brady (Series 6-)
"You do not have to have been to France to answer the question "Do the French like their children?" I mean that really is beyond stupid."
- Ascended Extra: Was one of the interviewers in series 4-5, before taking over from Margaret Mountford.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: When she was introduced in Young Apprentice, she stated in an interview "I think the candidates should not underestimate me." So far, no one on The Apprentice, young or adult version, has dared to cross her. That being said however, she still comes across as quite cutting in her putdowns.
- Disapproving Look: Does this frequently.
- First-Name Basis: Unlike Lord Sugar, she is not addressed by her title following her elevation to the Lords. Lampshaded in Series 11:Lord Sugar: "It was my honour last year to introduce Karren into the House of Lords. She is now "Baroness Brady."Karren Brady: "But I am happy for you to call me Karren."
- My Nayme Is: Her forename is more normally spelt with a single 'r'.
Claude Littner (Series 11-15)
"I've been watching you for the past ten weeks and for most of that time, I've wanted to kind of...smack you over the face to wake you up."
- Ascended Extra: One of the regular interviewers in the first ten series, before taking over from Nick Hewer.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: In the past when he simply did the interviews, he never got any screen time until the interviews. But that didn't stop him unleashing "The Reason You Suck" Speech after "The Reason You Suck" Speech on the candidates.
- Commuting on a Bus: After being severely injured in a cycling accident in early 2021, he was forced to drop out of the show, as he was still in rehabilitation when filming of Series 16 commenced. He recovered enough to take his regular part as an interviewer, however, and did appear as an advisor for the first episode of Series 17, before Tim took over again.
- Cruel to Be Kind: To quote on justifying his ruthless interview technique:"Even though it would appear that I’m looking for the negatives, what I’m looking for really is to find the best people to put before Alan Sugar, so that he can make his call on who he want to invest. The objective, really, is on the one hand to try and tease out the good things on the business plan, but also, if I’ve found sort of gaps in the business plan or things that I don’t quite understand, it’s very important that the candidates are able to defend [it]… defend those particular numbers, for example. Because actually, by the time they get to the last five, or four, or whatever it happens to be, you’ve got to kind of admire all of them."
- The Dreaded: And viewers love him for it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Like Lord Sugar and the other advisors on the show, Claude does NOT hold back in ripping candidates a new one. But at the same time, while he doesn't feel sympathy for the candidates he does admire them and in 2016 surprisingly came to the candidate's defence after viewers accused them of being the worst of all time:"It is stressful. Having me stand there and all the cameras, and then Lord Sugar asking questions – it’s not comfortable, that’s for sure. So I think, every year everyone says ‘oh these candidates aren’t very good are they,’ it’s just that they’re put under pressure. All these people saying ‘this is the worst bunch,’ or whatever it is that they’re saying, I just think is farcical, really."
- Last of His Kind: Even when he took over from Nick in Series 11, Claude is the last remaining regular interviewer since 2005.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: His interviewing style was presented as one after another of these and still is to this day.
Tim Campbell (Series 16-)
- Ascended Extra: The UK edition's first-ever winner, and the first winner of the show to return as an actual boardroom judge, stepping in after Claude Littner was forced to drop out due to an injury (albeit Series 8's Ricky Martin had previously returned as an interviewer).
- Ascended Fanboy: Was this to footballer Ian Wright, who he got a chance to negotiate with in the Week 7 charity auction... and promptly blew it, with Miriam's intervention being the only thing that prevented Wright from telling them to get lost and refusing to give them anything.
- Black Dude Dies First: Inverted back when he was a candidate in Season 1. He was the only black man among that season's contenders, and he was the winner.
- The Bus Came Back
