The lavish Apprentice mansion that houses candidates as they navigate the cut-throat business competition isn’t simply a backdrop for ‘s hit show.
The One series is back on Thursday nights and the latest batch of candidates vying for Lord Sugar’s investment are getting settled into their new lush mansion.
Contestants are enjoying the height of luxury at Huxley House, located on the affluent Billionaires’ Row in Hampstead, North London.
With an astonishing £17.5 million price tag, it boasts eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms and has made a name for itself as the most expensive property to feature on The Apprentice.
Despite its luxury, the mansion is not without criticism. Speaking to the Mirror last year, former 2024 participant on the show Paul Bowen said: “It’s such a big house, it’s the biggest house I’ll ever get to stay in that’s for sure.
“But, even still, they could do with upgrading the beds; those beds were only Ikea – considering it’s a multi-million-pound house, they could spend another tenner and get us a decent mattress.”
Huxley House has also featured on Channel 4’s Britain’s Most Expensive Houses, and word has it that this prestigious dwelling demands a hefty £100,000 per month in rent.
The Apprentice candidates stay in a £17.5million mansion during their time on the show (Image: BBC)
Paul, a connoisseur of pies, revealed further behind-the-scenes details during the competition as he mentioned: “There’s a cinema room, although you can’t watch proper telly, you can watch films and stuff like that.
“But to be honest, because there’s always so many of you in the house you’ve always got someone to speak to, everyone’s got so many stories. We spent a lot of the time getting to know each other and getting to know each other’s stories.”
There is a spacious living area where the contestants can relax after a board meeting (Image: Fremantlemedia Limited)
Paul, who struck up a friendship with pie connoisseur Phil Turner on last year’s series, discussed how his loved ones were the driving force behind his decision to participate, though he hadn’t anticipated the emotional strain of being isolated from them.
He admitted: “I think the no contact had a bigger impact on me than I thought it would. Obviously you can speak to friends and family but you can’t have your mobile on you.
“So just getting a text off someone or a quick message, you’d be surprised if you take that away completely how much it affected me.”
The Apprentice mansion has sprawling kitchen for a celebration drink (Image: BBC)
Reflecting on the emotional impact of being away from his partner, Paul confessed: “I was quite surprised. I remember my fiancée saying, ‘You won’t miss me’ and I thought, ‘You’re probably right, I won’t’.
“But, after a few days without speaking to her I nearly bust into tears, I missed her.
“That was the bit of the process that I didn’t realise. And it is a long day – you are up at three in the morning and I’ve done long shifts with my work but even that was a bit much for me.”
The Apprentice airs weekly at 9pm on Thursday nights on One