What time is The Apprentice 2016 next on, who are the contestants and what can we expect?
A group of budding entrepreneurs are expected to be be back on our screens shortly
NOW entering its twelfth year, Alan Sugar's 'The Apprentice' is more popular than ever with TV viewers.
Although the BBC has remained tight-lipped until now about this year's series, we can now reveal that the next series of The Apprentice returns this tonight, Thursday October 6 at 9pm on BBC ONE.
The BBC took to the official Apprentice Facebook page to confirm to viewers the show would be returning this year on a Thursday, simply stating 'Wednesdays have been fired'.
What is the format of the show?
The Apprentice has historically followed a similar format in each series, candidates are split into two teams and set a new task to complete each week.
Lord Sugar's right and left hand aides, Claude and Karren, will be on hand to review how well the brief of the task is met and how each individual works within a team.
Once candidates meet with Lord Sugar back in the boardroom, a discussion takes place about the result of the task, before a winning team is announced.
Each week the winning team are whisked off to enjoy a prize for their efforts, previous prizes have included Spa Days, a visit to Jersey and cocktail making classes.
Meanwhile, the losing team discuss what went wrong in the run-down Bridge Cafe.
This year's spin off shows 'You're Fired' and 'You're Hired', are set to be hosted by Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert.
Rhod will appear alongside a variety of guests each week including celebrities and business experts to discuss the progress of candidates each week.
Rhod recently filmed 'Rhod Gilbert's Word Experience' with the BBC and said this would certainly help him to relate with the candidates, "as someone who has been fired from 24 jobs in six series, I feel I have what it takes to empathise with the candidates who've been so cruelly rejected."
Who will be taking part?
This year's candidates have been revealed, 18 business hopefuls will be taking part in this year's competition.
READ MORE: Meet the 18 new Apprentice candidates on this year's show
This years candidates are aged between 24-38, there will be nine men and nine women taking part.
The candidates have a variety of experience between them, and run businesses including a bakery, property management, sausage manufacturing and IT consultancy.
What is the winning prize?
In series one to six the prize for The Apprentice winner was the promise of a job offer within one of Lord Sugar's businesses.
This format changed in series seven where the prize changed to an investment of £250,000 into the winner's businesses or venture.
What are previous winners doing now?
The winner of last year's series Joseph Valente used his prize money to invest in his plumbing business, Impra-Gas.
2014's winner Mark Wright used the investment money to start 'Climb Online', a digital marketing business. A year on from his win he boasted that the company was expecting a £1.5m turnover after 9 months.
Tom Pellereau from series seven hit the jackpot with his niche idea for a curved nail file, the product range is stocked in major supermarkets and pharmacies and is enjoying success.
However it's not always good news for the winners, Stella from series six unsuccessfully sued Lord Sugar's business Amstrad after claiming her role was no more than 'a glorified PA'.
Previous contestants Luisa Zissman, Saira Khan and James Hill have all taken part in Celebrity Big Brother following their time on the series, with James Hill walking out as winner.
Is the Apprentice boardroom real?
No - due to the amount of cameras and people present inside the boardroom, it would be difficult to film within a real life office or boardroom.
It is shot inside a film studio in West Acton, just down the road from the Bridge Cafe.
READ MORE: Apprentice star Margaret Mountford warns young people tattoos will kill career prospects.