It seems the producers of The Apprentice have managed to find someone even more controversial than a boardroom showdown. Just as Lord Sugar prepares to launch the 20th series on 29 January, a new candidate named Levi Hodgetts-Hague has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A series of old social media posts recently came to light, featuring lovely remarks about Muslims and some rather choice words about women.
Apparently, the production company, Naked, uses “reputable third party providers” to check these things. One has to wonder if those providers were using a dial-up connection or perhaps just forgot to scroll down. The BBC is naturally “completely unaware” and “taking this extremely seriously,” which is the standard corporate way of saying they are hiding under a desk.
The Digital Paper Trail
Levi, who hails from South Yorkshire, reportedly expressed support for Tommy Robinson back in 2013. He has since deleted the account and issued the classic “I am embarrassed and ashamed” statement. He insists these decade old posts do not reflect the man he is today. It is a bold strategy to enter a business competition where your boss is famously impatient, only to start the process by apologising for your teenage internet habits.
A Pattern in the Boardroom
This isn’t exactly a one-off for the show. Just this week, a former contestant from series 18, Dr Asif Munaf, was actually struck off the medical register. A tribunal found he posted 36 “seriously offensive” messages on X between 2023 and 2025. When your reality show produces more medical tribunal cases than successful businesses, you might want to rethink your casting couch.
Despite the outcry, Levi will still feature in the upcoming series. Since the show was filmed ages ago, the BBC cannot exactly edit him out without it looking like a very glitchy episode of Doctor Who. They have asked the production company to review their “rigorous due diligence,” which roughly translates to “please actually use Google next time.”
20 Series and Counting
The show is supposed to be about twenty candidates fighting for a £250,000 investment. Instead, it has become a masterclass in how to ruin your reputation before the first episode even airs. Lord Sugar might be a billionaire, but he clearly cannot buy a casting team that knows how to use a search bar.
It is going to be a very awkward series. We will see if Levi manages to sell more ice cream or lemonade than he did far right opinions.
If you are planning to apply for series 21, you might want to spend the weekend deleting your Twitter history.
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