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I hated being a TV star on The Apprentice & feared return to show says Tim Campbell, as he backs Love Island-style cast
Lord Sugar's right hand man reveals he was expelled from school
AS a child, Tim Campbell was kicked out of one school and almost excluded from another.
But the businessman, 47, who grew up in London's Forest Gate, went on to win the first series of The Apprentice and now sits at Lord Sugar’s boardroom table as an advisor on the show.
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In an exclusive chat with The Sun, he reveals that the actions of one teacher set him on course to become Lord Sugar's protegee.
He said: "I was at the risk of being excluded from school. I think if I had that exclusion on my record, my life would have been very, very different.
"This young Irish teacher called Mr. Foley put his neck above the line and said, 'Tim, I'm going to mentor you in how to navigate your way through this, because I see something in you.' That for me was a sliding door on a number of different levels.
"He showed me how I could navigate powerful structures in institutions and that stayed with me for a long period of time.”
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After becoming the first UK Apprentice winner, in 2005, Tim made a return to the show two years ago - this time on the other side of the boardroom table, standing in for an injured Claude Littner.
Now a permanent fixture by Lord Sugar's side, along with Karren Brady , the dad-of-two was initially reluctant to step back into the limelight.
“I hated being on TV and all the media that came with it when I was a contestant on the show,” he said.
“Once it had ended I'd buried myself in business and run away from that world, so when Lord Sugar rang me and asked me to step in, I really had to think about it.
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“I had to consider the impact on my family, how social media plays a huge role in life now. It wasn't even a thing when I did the show.
I was on the Apprentice - here are the behind the scenes secrets
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“The only Tiktok we worried about was the watch we had on.
“It's a totally different world and I had to think about what the ripple effects would be on my family.
“When I went on the show it was a purely selfish decision and that was a luxury I didn't have this time round.”
Despite his chequered school career Tim, who is supporting The Gatsby Foundation's T-Level campaign, was always raring to get into the world of work and land his first pay cheque.
So, applying for The Apprentice back in 2005 seemed a natural course of action.
Looking back, he said: “It was 100 per cent an unconventional choice when I decided to go onto The Apprentice.
“When I went on, I didn't have to have a business for Lord Sugar to invest in. I was competing against the others for a job with him.
“There was a ready-made business for me to run when I was selected. It was exciting. I couldn't wait to be on it.”
Despite his initial misgivings on returning to the show, in 2023, he's proved a huge hit with viewers for his level-headed approach.
But his kids have a concern about return to fame. "They're worried they're going to have to Vaseline the door so that my head gets through because I'm on the television," he jokes.
"I can't be anything but down to earth in my house."
Love Island-style
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While the show is the same in many ways, it's unrecognisable in others - including the incredibly attractive casts of recent years, many of whom wouldn't look out of place on Love Island.
“I don't think that's a bad thing,” Tim jokingly reprimands me.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we certainly don't make decisions on how they look.
"The reality is that we have incredibly diverse candidates on our show and the very fact that some people think that they're physically attractive - fantastic, good luck to them.
“I know that when we're assessing individuals, we are not waylaid by their appearance or the colour of their suits, or the flicker of their smiles.”
The Apprentice Winners that have quit
By Conor O'Brien
Since The Apprentice launched in 2005, Lord Alan Sugar has crowned several winners.
In 2011, the prize changed from a job working under Lord Sugar to a £250,000 investment partnership.
While some past winners work with Lord Sugar to this day, other collaborations have long ended.
Here is a look at some of the winners who have quit working with the business giant.
- Tim Campbell: After winning the first series, Tim (who was 26 at the time) secured a position at Lord Sugar's company Amstrad on a £100,000 salary. After two years, Tim left to start a perfume business - although this was later abandoned. Since 2022, he has been back on The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar's aides.
- Lee McQueen: Having won series four in 2008, 30-year-old Lee McQueen was assigned a position at Amscreen. He left the role after two years in July 2010.
- Yasmina Siadatan: Yasmina, who won The Apprentice in 2009, fell pregnant four months into her £100k-a-year role. She worked for Lord Sugar for 12 months but chose not to return after her maternity leave.
- Stella English: 2010 winner Stella English went on to work for Lord Sugar's Viglen after time on the BBC show. However, she walked out after 13 months of employment when told her contract would not be renewed and claimed she was just an "overpaid lackey".
- Mark Wright: Australian-born Mark won in 2014 and used the £250,000 investment to found digital marketing agency Climb Online. He parted ways with Lord Sugar in 2022, selling the business for an estimated £10million.
- Joseph Valente: Former plumber Joseph won the BBC show in 2015. However, he and Lord Sugar ultimately ended their working relationship after 18 months.
- Alana Spencer: Alana partnered up with Lord Sugar after winning in 2016. She claimed the top spot with her cake business Ridiculously Rich. The pair worked together for three years - until Alana ultimately bought out Lord Sugar.
- James White: In a one-time situation, James was one of two Apprentice winners in 2017. Three years after he won the show, Lord Sugar left the IT recruitment company, but reportedly let him keep the £250,000 investment.
- Sarah Lynn: Sweets delivery businesswoman Sarah was the other joint winner in 2017. She and Lord Sugar parted ways in September 2022.
- Carina Lepore: After winning The Apprentice in 2019, Lord Sugar put a £250,000 investment in Carina Lepore's Dough Artisan Bakehouse business. However, the pair ended their partnership in 2023.
Guiding the next generation
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Given that he now spends a large portion of the year helping shape the next generation of business moguls, it's no surprise that he's turned his attention to an even younger generation - school kids.
Tim told me he felt unsupported by most of his teachers during his schooling.
“Not everyone is suited to the sausage machine approach, which it was then,” he said.
“Paths were relatively straightforward but that didn't necessarily fit for me.”
Return to old school
One indication of how much he struggled with the school system was when he was “kicked out” of St Bonaventure’s Catholic School, East London.
His bad behaviour wasn't appreciated by his single mum Una, who wanted to see Tim and his two siblings do well in life.
However, the exile didn't last long, as he is now back as their Chair of Governors.
“It's empowering to be on the board of governors at my old school,” he said with a smile.
“In a way, it's put a lot of things to rest for me that I had found difficult when I went through school. Plus, it's a civic duty.
“Essentially, volunteers are running a five to ten million pound business. They're responsible for recruiting teachers and for kids' safety.
“I hold this position in high regard, because I know the impact it has in supporting the head and his senior team in making sure the next generation of boys like me don't fall through the cracks or get isolated.
“I don't think there's anything more important than investment in the next generation.”
The only tiktok we worried about was the watch we had on.
Tim Campbell
He's been volunteering as a governor for nearly 14 years.
He's partnered with The Gatsby Foundation for their Talking Futures campaign, which helps kids and parents recognise alternative options to higher education outside of university, such as T levels and apprenticeships.
And knowing your options is something he reckons The Apprentice helps young people realise.
“The show gets boxed in as a reality programme, but really I think it's more akin to a fly on the wall documentary” he said.
“People are getting to witness how it really works when you want to get an angel investor like Lord Sugar or find private equity.
“Those are things that aren't usually caught on camera and it gives a unique insight into how people get an investment.
“I'd like to think young people will watch it and be inspired to try to have their own business.
“We know we have a large section of the audience that is under 30. They can learn good ways to do things and bad ways from the contestants, there's ample doing both.
“TV is a great way to get people thinking about what they could do and how.”
As a dad, Tim knows how hard it is as a parent to keep up with how education is evolving, especially with a 16-year-old son who is working out the next steps.
This isn't a kumbaya moment. There is actually a relatively selfish motive here.
Tim Campbell
Thanks to The Gatsby Foundation, he and his son have an option to talk to someone about what his path could be - almost like having an education version of Lord Sugar.
“If every young person gets to the age of 16 thinking the only options are for them is university, rather than thinking about some really high quality technical education qualifications, like T levels, like apprenticeship, like higher technical qualification then that's remiss upon society.
"It's bad business not informing the next generation of what's available.
“As a businessman, I want to make sure that these qualifications, which have been created in conjunction with business, are being promoted to the next generation of talent that are going to come and work in our organisation.”
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It sounds like something Lord Sugar might want to invest in - making sure his next batch of candidates are up to his high standards.
- High-quality technical education options, like T-levels, apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications, open doors for young people. Parents can access a wide range of information and advice about education and careers by visiting the Talking Futures website at: .
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