The Apprentice return date revealed – and BBC’s series 18 is just weeks away from hitting screens

FANS of The Apprentice are set to be delighted as the show's eighteenth series is just around the corner.

The popular BBC programme will be returning in weeks after being delayed by up to a month as a result of a schedule shake-up.

Fronted by Lord Alan Sugar, the first episode of the brand new series will kick off on Thursday 1st February.

Businessman Alan, 76, will once again be joined by his trusty aides as a new batch of recruits aim to do their best to secure his life-changing monetary investment into their businesses.

Baroness Karren Brady, 54, and winner of the show's first series, Tim Campbell, 46, will have their beady eye across the contestant's every move as they spend up to 12 weeks aiming to knock each other out one-by-one and prove that they have what it takes to be worthy of the huge cash injection.

Once again, the contestants will reside in a house together as each week they are split into two teams in order to risk not hearing the dreaded words of the business mogul: "You're Fired."

The latest series of the BBC hit concluded in April and was won by boxer and businesswoman, Marnie Swindells.

Her plans to open a unique and fresh boxing gym in the heart of London won over the hearts of the experts and she beat Rochelle Raye Anthony in a nail-biting end result.

Tim has already shared his excitement for the upcoming edition of the show and told The Sun that the brand new cast were the "best" yet.

In an exclusive interview, Tim said: "We're very excited that the new series is going to be shown in the New Year. I think we've got the best candidate group ever, it's amazing.

"We've got the best quality calibre of candidates, business owners, professionals and experts in their fields, who are coming along to give up their time and energy and enthusiasm to be part of one of the most robust interview processes in order to find out Lord Sugar's next business partner."

Tim continued: "There's some massive characters and some really big deals, some amazing deals that are done. We've got some really transformational exchanges that have come along in the process.

"I think people who are watching this series are going to pick their favourites because it's nice to have a character that you can connect to."

Fans of The Apprentice have been patiently waiting for the show to make its long-awaited return after it was impacted by a sudden schedule switch.

Usually launching at the turn of the New Year, the business competition has been pushed back after reality hit The Traitors took over the Beeb's January schedule.

The Claudia Winkleman fronted show itself was delayed by a month after it failed to air in 2023.