Tim Campbell is to join The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s aides for 2022.
The former winner of the BBC One series is replacing Claude Littner who cannot take part in the series because of medical reasons.
Claude told previously how he is recovering from a nasty bike accident in April 2021 which almost saw his leg amputated.
He explained to the Press Association in 2021: “I was just pottering along, I must have been doing no more than 10 kilometres an hour on this sort of two-track road. The next thing I knew, I was on the left-hand side of the street, my bike was in the middle of the road and I didn’t know what happened.
“I suspect I hit a pothole or something like that, but I must have blanked out at the moment of impact, because the next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground.”
Claude added: “My wife and my sons were there as well and they (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…
“Whilst I’m disappointed that I won’t be out and about covering the tasks or in the boardroom for this upcoming series, I’ll most definitely be glued to the action from my sofa.”
With Claude unable to film the new series, former Apprentice winner and entrepreneur Tim Campbell is to stand in alongside returning Karren Brady.
Lord Sugar said: “Claude has been part of the series since the beginning and is leaving an important boardroom chair to temporarily fill. I’ve been speaking to him regularly about his recovery, and of course hope we see him back in the boardroom very soon.
“In the meantime, my former winner Tim Campbell will step into Claude’s seat and be my eyes and ears as the candidates face a tough set of business challenges in the upcoming series.”
Tim added: “I’m excited to be looking after Claude’s boardroom chair while he recuperates and look forward to seeing what the candidates come up with on this year’s tasks.
“I was saddened by the circumstances which led to getting the call from Lord Sugar, but having been on the show myself, I know the hard work that goes into it – so I didn’t take the decision lightly. I wish Claude the very best as he recovers.”
Meanwhile Karren recently gave an update on Claude ahead of the new series airing on TV.
She told the Daily Mirror: “We were so desperately disappointed that he wasn’t there, but we were much more concerned about how he was. He had this terrible cycling accident, which has seen him have a number of operations.
“The good news is that Claude is on the mend. He’s had a difficult time, but he’s almost back to his best. But it was impossible for him – as much as he would’ve loved it – to take part in the series. So Alan turned to Tim.”
The next series of The Apprentice started in January 2022.
The show has been off-air since 2019 due to the pandemic but is back airing Thursday nights at 9PM on BBC One and iPlayer.
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