Is The Apprentice bad for business?

Despite being viewed by millions each week, many professionals see The Apprentice as damaging to British businesses – according to a new poll.

The survey by, retailer ECigaretteDirect, asked more than 600 businesspeople if they thought the show offered an accurate portrayal of the business world – with a staggering 76% stating that it didn’t.

More than half of respondents, 54%, said they believed the show served more as vehicles for creating celebrity business figures rather than educating the public on how to successfully develop their own enterprise.

A further 37% said they felt contestants on the show were more concerned about becoming a celebrity than a businessman or woman.

Just one in five, 19%, believed the programme still served as an informative guide of how to make it in business.

One businessman said he believed that whilst the hit BBC show still featured moments of brilliance, those involved had become more interested in creating their own media persona.

He said: “The Apprentice is undoubtedly good entertainment-wise. The trouble is they have become so focused on entertainment the business element is lost. People see celebs like Katie Hopkins and Ruth Badger and want their 15 minutes of fame.”

They said: “The contestants are always put into unrealistic situations which would never happen in the real world.

“The average job is not a series of challenging tasks, each judging you on different skills. Most people do pretty much the same thing every day.

“Then they are thrown into some sort of gladiatorial battle in the boardroom hurling insults at one another until someone gets fired.

“I bet the producers pick candidates who are most likely to spar with one another. The way they treat each other is appalling – you would never see that in the real world.”

James Dunworth, co founder of market leader ECigaretteDirect said: “There is always going to be a creative conflict with shows like The Apprentice between making it business focused and entertaining.

“However, good TV should be able to do both. The Apprentice has been on our TV screens now for ten years and whilst our survey shows that that the programmes are still popular, many feel the standard of business acumen has fallen.

“I think it’s fair to say that The Apprentice has brought enterprise and entrepreneurship to the masses which is a positive thing.

“But it is important to remember that it is a reality TV show and needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.”