THE Apprentice is set to return in the New Year for its 18th series - and Lord Alan Sugar's right-hand man says "it's the best yet".
Tim Campbell MBE is back as Claude Littner's replacement alongside Baroness Karren Brady to help find Britain's brightest businessperson.
Tim - who won the first-ever in 2005 - is promising fans punchy fighting talk from some massive characters.
He's also hinted at "inevitable" romances between the cast after 2022 winner Harpreet Kaur found love with her co-star Akshay Thakrar.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun while championing as a game-changing qualification for young people, 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.
"Some are already running very successful enterprises who have all still wanted to come and apply for the unique opportunity to get investment from Lord Sugar and his mentorship.
"That's really is a credit to him and the power and robustness of the show.
"I personally am very, very excited for everybody to see what is coming up because it's going to be a great series."
Tim played matchmaker last year when Harpreet grew close to her rival Akshay.
The pair are now engaged - and Tim has hinted at future relationship blossoming on the show.
"From our perspective, our focus is on the business element and how they perform in a business task," he said.
"However, business is only relevant because of the interaction between people and at the heart of every business is that you're selling to somebody else.
"You're interacting with another manager or distributor or a supplier, right? So business is linked to people.
"You're going to get people who get on. You're going to get people who disagree. You're going to get people who end up getting married.
"Harpreet is the perfect example of how you could be 100 per cent focused on business and still find the love of your life. It's amazing, right? I just love it.
"You can't ever get away from the fact that lots of relationships happen at work because that's where you spend most amount of your time - and it's the same with the show.
"Sometimes we are very fortunate that lovely blossoming relationships happen between wonderful people like Harpreet and Akshay.
"I think our focus, though, as business individuals, and why the show has had so much success, is that our only focus is how they perform as business people on business tasks."
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."
Lord Sugar returns in 2024 for the 18th year fronting the BBC show - offering a winning prize of a £250,000 investment.
Tim says the successful multi-millionaire is still at his peak - at the ripe of age 76.
"Lord sugar is an investor," Tim continued.
"He's an investor in businesses and talent of the individuals.
"He gets the thrill of being able to help the next generation to do what he's been able to do."
Following in Lord Sugar's footsteps of helping young people reach their potential, Tim is joining a group of celebrities campaigning for the industries they are experts in, arming young people with the experience they need to address skills shortages in specific sectors.
The T-team expands as new research released today by the Gatsby Foundation reveals the two sides of the recruitment crisis – with plugging skills gaps a concern for employers and gaining the right experience a concern for young people.
Following research from the Gatsby Foundation revealing 84 per cent of employers find it challenging to hire young recruits, while only seven per cent of young people felt confident they'll get the job.
Tim said: “ are a great addition to the options young people have after GCSEs, making their dream industries much more accessible from a young age.
"A Digital T-level or Business & Administration T-level embraces those rapidly changing elements of digital technology, and equips young people with the skills and confidence they’ll need to add immediate value to an employer.
"As a parent, I understand how reassuring this can be to other parents who are helping their children navigate and prepare for the working world.”
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