The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas 2025: Everything You Need to Know About the Festive Specials 🎄

Ho ho ho — Lord Sugar is back, and this time he’s trading the boardroom for snow, biscuits, and Christmas chaos.

The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas 2025 is shaping up to be one of the BBC’s biggest festive treats, blending competitive chaos, celebrity sparkle, and genuine heart — all in aid of BBC Children in Need.

If you’re wondering when it’s on, who’s competing, what the tasks are, and whether this is a one-off or something bigger, here’s the full breakdown.

When Are The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas Specials On?

Mark your calendars.

• Dates: Monday 29 December & Tuesday 30 December 2025

• Time: 9:00 PM (UK)

• Where to Watch: BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Each night features a standalone festive special, meaning twice the drama, twice the firings, and double the mince-pie-fuelled tension.

What’s the Concept This Year?

This time, the celebrity candidates are shipped off to Lapland, the official home of Santa Claus, where business meets baubles.

The task?

• Design gingerbread Christmas biscuits

• Create a marketing campaign, including:

  • A full advert

  • A catchy festive jingle

• Pitch their products to real retailers

All while battling freezing temperatures, tight deadlines, and Lord Sugar’s famously frosty judgment.

In short: raise the dough — or crumble under pressure.

Who Are The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas 2025 Contestants?

This year’s lineup is stacked with personalities from TV, comedy, sport, and music. The 12 celebrities competing are:

• AJ Odudu – TV presenter

• Angela Scanlon – Broadcaster & podcaster

• Charlie Hedges – BBC Radio 1 DJ

• Eddie Kadi – Stand-up comic

• Jake Wood – Actor

• JB Gill – Singer & TV presenter

• Kadeena Cox – Paralympic athlete

• Matt Morsia – Gladiators legend

• Rob Rinder – Barrister & TV star

• Sarah Hadland – Actor

• Shazia Mirza – Comedian

• Tom Skinner – Businessman & fan-favourite

They’re split into two competing teams, each fighting to impress retailers — and avoid becoming the festive flop of the year.

Who’s Back in the Boardroom?

Presiding over the festive chaos, of course, is Alan Sugar.

Joining him in Lapland are:

• Karren Brady

• Mike Soutar

They step in for Tim Campbell, who was unavailable for filming.

Translation: no mercy, even at Christmas.

Why These Specials Matter (More Than You Think)

This isn’t just festive filler.

These Christmas episodes act as a soft launch for something bigger — because for the first time ever, a full-length series of The Celebrity Apprentice has been officially confirmed for 2026.

That means:

• Multi-episode season

• Bigger celebrity names

• Longer arcs and rivalries

• Proper Apprentice-level chaos

These Christmas specials are essentially the proof of concept.

What Is The Celebrity Apprentice, Exactly?

For newcomers:

The Celebrity Apprentice is a charity-driven spin-off of The Apprentice, where celebrities compete in business tasks to raise money for good causes.

Previous versions include:

• Comic Relief Does The Apprentice

• Sport Relief Does The Apprentice

The format has existed since 2007, but 2025 marks its most ambitious return yet, leading directly into a full series in 2026.

Final Thoughts: Festive TV Done Right

The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas 2025 hits the sweet spot:

• Light-hearted but competitive

• Celebrity chaos without cruelty

• Genuinely funny and for a good cause

It’s comfort TV with just enough bite — perfect for that post-Christmas sofa slump.

And let’s be honest: Watching famous faces panic over gingerbread biscuits?

That’s the real Christmas magic. 🎅