Claude Littner has stepped down for the next series of 'The Apprentice'.
Claude Littner
Lord Alan Sugar has appointed Tim Campbell - the first ever winner of the BBC business show, who landed a £100,000-a-year job with Sugar's Amstrad firm in 2005 - to join for one season as Claude continues to recover from an operation earlier in the year.
In a statement, he said: "I’m hugely grateful to all the surgeons and nursing staff at St Marys Hospital for their incredible care and getting me on the road to recovery.
"Whilst I’m disappointed that I won’t be out and about covering the tasks or in boardroom for this upcoming series, I’ll most definitely be glued to the action from my sofa.”
Lord Sugar noted that his absence leaves "an important boardroom chair" to fill until he's fit to return alongside himself and Baroness Karren Brady as he revealed Tim as his replacement.
He added: "Claude has been part of the series since the beginning and is leaving an important boardroom chair to temporarily fill.
"I’ve been speaking to him regularly about his recovery, and of course hope we see him back in the boardroom very soon.
"In the meantime, my former winner Tim Campbell will step into Claude’s seat and be my eyes and ears as the candidates face a tough set of business challenges in the upcoming series.”
Tim - who left Amstrad in 2007 to found the Bright Ideas Trust charity, received an MBE in 2012 and now runs his own digital marketing agency Marketing Runner - admitted he was "saddened" by the reason for him being drafted in, but he's looking forward to getting to work.
He commented: "I’m excited to be looking after Claude’s boardroom chair while he recuperates and look forward to seeing what the candidates come up with on this year’s tasks.
"I was saddened by the circumstances which led to getting the call from Lord Sugar, but having been on the show myself, I know the hard work that goes into it - so I didn’t take the decision lightly.
"I wish Claude the very best as he recovers.”
'The Apprentice' is set to return to BBC One in early 2022, with more details due to be revealed in due course.
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