The Apprentice’s Claude Littner has released an update on his involvement with the show.
Fans of the BBC competition in the boardroom were devastated by his absence as the latest series kicked off on Thursday evening.
Having appeared on The Apprentice since 2015, viewers were saddened and concerned when 74-year-old Claude did not appear in the season’s debut episode.
Taking to social media, the businessman confirmed he had been replaced again as one of Lord Alan Sugar’s assistants by former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell, who will star alongside Baroness Karren Brady.
However, Claude revealed that he would return to The Apprentice for the interviews in episode 11, to question the remaining candidates about the feasibility of their business plans.
Claude Littner, 74, from The Apprentice has given an update on his involvement in the show as the latest series kicked off on Thursday evening
Having appeared on The Apprentice since 2015, viewers were saddened and concerned when Claude did not appear in the season’s debut episode.
Taking to social media, the businessman confirmed he had once again been replaced as one of Lord Alan Sugar’s assistants by former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell.
Responding to concerned fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, Claude confirmed, “I will,” when asked if he would return for the interviews.
He told another viewer that he would be back for: “Episode 11. Interviews.”
In even more positive news, Claude expressed the possibility that he could return fully for the 2025 season.
One fan tweeted: ‘Missing ClaudeLittner as a student again this year! Hoping he would come back…’ to which Claude replied, ‘Maybe next year. ”No dispersion”.’
At the start of the 2022 series, Claude was replaced by Tim Campbell at the last minute, with Sir Alan explaining to the candidates, “You may be wondering why this gentleman is here,” before pointing to Tim.
‘Unfortunately, Claude is not doing well and Tim will be assisting me for the next eleven weeks.’
Claude suffered serious injuries in a freak e-bike accident in April 2021. He underwent nine operations to save his leg and had to learn to walk again after the incident near his home in London.
As a result, Claude missed the final two seasons of The Apprentice as he focused on recovery. He briefly returned for a single episode in 2023, before Tim intervened again.
Responding to concerned fans on
Last year Claude appeared on Good Morning Britain and gave a health update, saying: ‘I’m doing wonderfully, thank you. I am very grateful to the ambulance crew for looking after me and of course to the surgeons at St Mary’s who put me back together.
‘It was a freak accident. I think someone was paying attention to me, but if someone paid more attention to me, I wouldn’t have had the accident. I was lucky that the ambulance was behind me.
‘I was just messing around, on such a two-track road I must not have been driving faster than 10 kilometers per hour.’
‘Before I knew it, I was sitting on the left side of the street, my bike was in the middle of the road and I didn’t know what was happening.
‘I suspect I drove into a pothole or something like that, but I must have been unconscious at the time of impact because before I knew it I was on the ground.’