Karren Brady interview
When Alan told me Margaret had decided to leave The Apprentice and asked me to replace her, I was thrilled. I love the show – it's only when you work on it that you realise the professionalism, the integrity and sheer hard work that goes into making it.
The days shadowing the teams can be very long. For the first main series, our first task, "sausages", was a 24-hour job. When Nick and I saw the call sheet, we thought it was a great idea, until we realised that it also meant us!
Footwear on these days is vital – even on less extreme days, we're on our feet for at least 16 hours. The first day filming The Junior Apprentice, I wore a lovely pair of Prada shoes. After six hours in a freezing cold market, my feet were numb. If you look closely at the first episode, you'll see me in a suit and a pair of FitFlops – not a good look.
What I wear for the show is up to me. The only advice you get is that you can't wear stripes or anything that strobes on HD. I've also noticed a bit of colour works in the boardroom.
After watching the first series, I decided I needed to make more of an effort with my hair and make-up for the second! However, after 16-hour days, demanding tasks and running all over the country (as well as managing a family and a full-time job), that's easier said than done.
Nick and I have to have eyes in the back of our heads as we follow and assess the teams. We watch, listen and note everything. We probably write 10,000 words a task – like a mini book. When we're in the boardroom and Alan asks us to confirm who did what, we have to be ready with the answer.
When we go into the boardroom, only Alan knows what's going to happen. Nick and I don't engage with the contestants on a personal level as we don't want them to think we have favourites. We only give Alan the facts – he makes up his own opinions.
Seeing someone with talent but no confidence, it can be hard not to want to mentor them. Particularly in The Junior Apprentice. Some contestants don't realise the quality of their contribution. Others make a lot of noise but actually contribute very little.
I'm often amazed by some of the decisions the contestants make. You can't fake it on The Apprentice and you can't play a game, no matter how hard you try. At some point, normally as project manager, they get found out.
This series, the tasks are far more geared to start-ups. There is a prize of £250,000 and the winner gets to go into business with Alan, owning a business 50-50 with him. It's tough this year and only the best can survive the tasks, let alone the boardrooms.
This is an edited version of Karren's interview. To read the full article, pick up the July issue of woman&home, out now.
