A FORMER winner of The Apprentice has risked the wrath of Lord Sugar by revealing what changes need to be made to the BBC show.
Tom Pellereau won the BBC series back in 2011, and was the first candidate to secure the £250,000 investment prize from Lord Sugar rather than a job at one of his companies.
Since then, Tom, 45, has become one of The Apprentice‘s biggest success stories, starting with the world’s first curved nail file.
Now he is a millionaire thanks to his hugely successful Stylideas brand, which recently launched seven new products onto the beauty tech market including a Wavelength LED Mask and a Hydro Exfoliator.
Tom still works closely with Lord Sugar, 77, but risks being told off by his famous business partner after revealing what he thinks needs to change to keep The Apprentice fresh after 18 series.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun Online, Tom said: “I’ll get in trouble for saying this, £250,000 was a lot more 10, 13 years ago than it is today.
“I think they should double the price personally to £500,000, but it’s not my money to do and I’m sure that would get me in trouble.”
As well as increasing the prize pot for future winners, Tom would love to see the BBC change it’s mind on Young Apprentice.
The spin-off ran for three series from 2010 to 2012, with the winning youngster receiving a £25,000 investment from Lord Sugar.
Tom said: “One thing I’d love to see is the Young Apprentice return, that had a couple of seasons.
“I believe it was very, very difficult for them to film it, which is why they stopped doing it.”
Despite his suggestions for tweaks to the show that brought him so much success, Tom is still a huge fan and believes it continues to earn its place in the TV schedules every year.
He said: “I think The apprentice is still very relevant, very enjoyable, kind of must see TV, especially for the last few tasks.”
As for the future, Tom shows no signs of letting up when it comes to inventing beauty products to help the masses.
He said: “We’re on this mission to help consumers at home have the best possible beauty technology.
“I’m fortunate now to have a much bigger team than when I first started The Apprentice.
THE Apprentice has been a fan favourite ever since it burst onto the box in 2005.
Here we take a look at five of the biggest moments over the years on the hit BBC One show.
Tim Campbell – Former London Underground transport manager Tim Campbell won the first series of the reality show in 2005. He is now one of Lord Sugar’s aides on the show.
Sarah Lynn and James White – For the first and only time in the show’s history, both finalists were crowned winners in 2017.
Amy Anzel – Season 16’s fired candidate Amy Anzel was BANNED from the final celebration show, after a tit-for-tat exchange over Lord Sugar’s mocking tweets.
Michelle Dewberry – Telecoms consultant Michelle Dewberry won the second series of the show in 2006. However, after winning a six-figure job with Lord Sugar she lasted just four months before she sensationally quit.
Selena Waterman-Smith – We’re used to tensions running high in the boardroom, but in 2015 a disagreement between two candidates spilled over – for the first time – into a physical bust-up. Events manager Selina Waterman-Smith was given a verbal warning by show bosses for her role in an off-camera scrap with Charleine Wain.
“So I’m surrounded by brilliant people who were able to come together and make these things happen.”
But he concedes creating, developing and releasing seven products at the same time was a big challenge.
He added: “I think as a brand, it’s important for us to bring things together as a collection. But yes, launching seven at a time is pretty stressful.”
The Apprentice airs on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer. The Stylpro range is available here.
