In 2022 the first-ever winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell, had to step in for Lord Sugar's aide Claude Littner on the BBC One show. Now Tim has stepped in again as Claude appeared to bow out of the 2023 series after just one episode.
Claude has been aide to Lord Sugar since Nick Hewer left in 2015 and follows one of the two teams in the show as they attempt to impress in the tasks, however since 2022 he has been replaced by Tim after he was injured in a biking accident. Although Claude returned briefly for the 2023 series he was only in the first episode with Tim stepping in during the second episode and remaining as an aide for the rest of the series.
Explaining Claude's absence, Lord Alan Sugar explained: "Unfortunately, Claude suffered some medical issues and so I was asked to think of someone else." Alan did not elaborate further on Claude's health, but it could be related to the electric bike incident he suffered in 2021 which saw series one winner - Tim cover his role as an aide for the 2022 series.
UPDATE: Claude tells 'gutted' Apprentice viewers he'll be back soon
Claude underwent nine surgeries after his accident which occurred near his home in Mill Hill, London. Doctors originally feared that they would have to amputate Claude's leg however ultimately did not have to.
Speaking about the accident in June 2021, Claude told PA: "My wife and my sons were there as well and [the doctors] decided they were going to amputate my leg. And then they had another chat about it and they said, 'Look, let's get him into theatre right away tonight and let's see if we can save his leg'. And I went into theatre and it was a very long operation and they didn't take my leg off."
Tim won the first ever series of The Apprentice in 2005 where he then joined Lord Sugar's business Amstrad and became project director of Amstrad's health and beauty division.
Fans of Claude will see him again, though, as he returns for the end-of-series interviews, And fellow aide, Karren Brady, also said recently: "Yes, he's really in good health," reported The Express. "I spoke to him last week, he is in good health and feeling great. He obviously comes back to the interviews."
The Apprentice continues on BBC One Thursdays at 9pm.
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