The Apprentice’s Claude Littner has issued an update on his involvement in the show.
Fans of the boardroom-based BBC competition were left devastated over his absence, as the latest series kicked off on Thursday night.
Having been on The Apprentice since 2015, viewers were saddened and concerned when Claude, 74, didn’t appear in the season’s debut episode.
Taking to social media, the businessman confirmed that he was, once again, being replaced as one of Lord Alan Sugar’s aides by former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell, who will star alongside Baroness Karren Brady.
However, Claude revealed that he would return to The Apprentice in episode 11 for the interviews, to grill remaining candidates on the feasibility of their business plans.
The Apprentice’s Claude Littner, 74, has issued an update on his involvement in the show, as the latest series kicked off on Thursday night
Having been on The Apprentice since 2015, viewers were saddened and concerned when Claude didn’t appear in the season’s debut episode
Taking to social media, the businessman confirmed that he was, once again, being replaced as one of Lord Alan Sugar’s aides by former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell
Responding to concerned fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, Claude confirmed: ‘I will,’ when asked if he’d be back for the interviews.
He told another viewer that he would be back for: ‘Episode 11. Interviews.’
In even more positive news, Claude expressed the potential that he could return in full for the 2025 season.
One fan tweeted: ‘Missing ClaudeLittner on the apprentice again this year! Hoping he was going to be back…’ to which Claude responded: ‘Maybe next year. ”Nil disperandum”.’
At the beginning of the 2022 series, Claude was replaced at the last minute by Tim Campbell, with Sir Alan explained to the candidates: ‘You may be wondering why this gentleman is here,’ before pointing to Tim.
‘Regretfully, Claude has not been very well and Tim will be assisting me for the next 11 weeks.’
Claude suffered severe injuries during a freak E-bike accident in April 2021. He underwent nine surgeries to save his leg and had to learn to walk again following the incident near his London home.
As a result, Claude missed the last two seasons of The Apprentice, while focusing on recovery. He made a brief return in 2023 for a single episode, before Tim stepped in once again.
Responding to concerned fans on X, formerly known as Twitter , Claude confirmed his involvement and hinted he may return in full for the 2025 season
Appearing last year on Good Morning Britain, Claude gave a health update, saying: ‘I am doing wonderfully well, thank you. I am very grateful to the ambulance crew for looking after me and of course the surgeons at St Mary’s who put me back together.
‘It was a freak accident. I think someone was looking out for me but if someone was looking out for me better, I wouldn’t have had the accident – I was lucky to have the ambulance driving behind me.
‘I was just pottering along, I must have been doing no more than 10 kilometres an hour on this sort of two-track road’.
‘The next thing I knew, I was on the left hand side of the street, my bike was in the middle of the road and I didn’t know what happened.
‘I suspect I hit a pothole or something like that, but I must have blanked out at the moment of impact, because the next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground.’
