Dean Franklin, the triumphant winner of The Apprentice 2025, has provided a rare and candid glimpse into the demanding world behind the scenes of the BBC One phenomenon. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the 35-year-old entrepreneur revealed that contestants now face a more gruelling experience than ever before, with several key privileges recently removed.
A New Era of Stress and Restrictions
Franklin, who secured Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment for his air conditioning business, described the current series as 'stressful than ever'. This heightened pressure stems from a new alcohol ban, which prevents candidates from unwinding during their limited downtime. He explained that years ago, the atmosphere was more relaxed, with allowances for drinking, smoking, and swearing, but all these liberties have now been revoked.
'They want to strip you down from life as you know it and bring out the raw you,' Franklin stated. 'They want to see you stripped of all your armour so they take away everything. They want to see the real you and see how you perform under the amount of pressure they put you under. It was ridiculous, but it's part of the process.'
The All-Consuming Apprentice Bubble
Life inside the competition is described as 'all-consuming', with producers implementing deliberate tactics to detach candidates from reality. Notably, contestants are banned from wearing watches, and there are no clocks in the multi-million pound London mansion where they reside during filming. This means when the house phone rings to initiate a task, often at ungodly hours, the aspiring business moguls have no idea of the time.
Franklin recalled early morning wake-ups, sometimes around 3am or 4am, with cameras immediately in their faces. 'You would get woken up and you don't even know what time because there are no clocks in the house and you're not allowed a watch,' he said. However, he cleverly noted the time on an air conditioning unit. There are no alarms; a candidate is informed the night before that they will answer the phone and must then rush to wake everyone else.
Gruelling Filming Schedules and Boardroom Pressure
Each task reportedly takes between two to three days to film, while the intense boardroom showdowns, where performances are scrutinised by Lord Sugar and his aides Karren Brady and Tim Campbell, are shot over exhaustive, day-long sessions. Franklin admitted these confrontations are every bit as stressful as they appear on television, with pressure mounting the moment candidates enter the room.
'When you walk in, the pressure kicks in and you have seen it on TV for years, to realise you're actually there - it's shocking. It's overwhelming,' he added. Despite editing that can highlight certain candidates, Franklin insisted everyone receives a 'fair chance to speak'.
Life After Victory and Calls for Change
Franklin survived all 11 rounds to beat pizza business owner Anisa Khan in the final, becoming Lord Sugar's latest business partner and the show's first male winner since 2017. Unlike many reality TV stars, he did not seek fame, returning to work within days of securing the prize. 'I wasn't in it for the limelight or fame; it was the business side of things and the money,' he explained.
He now aims to become the most successful winner in the show's history, expanding his ADL Air Conditioning business with more engineers, staff, and space. Reflecting on the prize, Franklin argued it should be 'doubled' to at least £500,000, citing the intense pressure candidates endure. 'It's been £250,000 for years; it should have changed when I won! It doesn't really get you very far in business, £250,000. By the time you buy a couple of vans and hire a few people, it's gone,' he remarked.
A Relaxed Partnership with Lord Sugar
Thankfully, Franklin's current relationship with Lord Sugar is far more relaxed than the high-pressure environment of the show. They hold monthly meetings, either via Zoom or at Sugar's office in Loughton, to discuss business matters. 'He's not as strict as he is on the show. Where we have been so busy, there's not much he can comment on,' Franklin noted, describing their interactions as laidback and chilled.
While unlikely to follow other reality TV stars like Tom Skinner into further television ventures, Franklin shared a surprising pre-Apprentice connection: he once won a car from Skinner at a golf event. The Apprentice continues to captivate audiences, airing Thursdays on BBC One and iPlayer from 9pm, with its 20th series showcasing a fresh lineup of candidates facing these rigorous challenges.
