AN APPRENTICE candidate who walked away from the series has gone into business with a show rival in a snub to Lord Sugar.
Dr Jana Denzel left the BBC One show last month after sources told me he felt he had been “set up to fail” by production staff, hitting out that tasks had been “designed to make candidates look bad”.
8
8
But stepping back from the show did not spell the end for the dentist thanks to a Dragons’ Den investor.
Steven Bartlett from the BBC’s rival business series, has backed Dr Jana, who owns a Harley Street clinic, to action the upscaled dental firm he had pitched to Lord Sugar.
A deal was struck just four weeks after his departure from The Apprentice, which was filmed last year.
A source told me: “Jana’s business has excelled since leaving the show after he was introduced to industry money-makers that backed the business plan Lord Sugar didn’t invest in.
read more on the apprentice
“He was given help from Dragons’ Den’s Steven, who introduced him to his own commercial director, Danny Gray, to give Denstudios a boost fit for Jana’s Hollywood clientele.
“Danny got fully behind the business plan Jana had prepared for The Apprentice.
“It seems Jana will be proving Lord Sugar wrong.”
Lord Sugar previously admitted that, despite having respect for his telly rivals, including fellow business owners Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones, he could not say the same for Steven.
Asked about the investor and podcast host’s success, Lord Sugar said: “He’s a mystery to me.
“He’s a good talker, but comes across a bit suave and debonair.”
It comes after an insider told me last month how Jana took the decision to leave after being labelled “troublesome” for speaking out against filming rules.
The TV insider alleged: “Jana raised concerns about how unfair and staged the series felt, but he felt he was shrugged off.”
- The Apprentice continues on Thursday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Bizbit
AN INTERGALACTIC version of the Eurovision Song Contest will feature in the new series of Doctor Who.
The BBC One show returns for its second series with Ncuti Gatwa as the Time Lord on April 12.
Episode six, titled The Interstellar Song Content, will have a cameo from Rylan Clark.
OH DEAR FRANK, NO LIONS
FRANK SKINNER says he was furious after the National Theatre failed to use his Three Lions song in their current stage show about football.
Dear England follows Gareth Southgate’s transformation of the men’s England team, but it fails to mention the famous Euro 1996 fans’ anthem, penned by Frank and his fellow Fantasy Football League comic David Baddiel.
8
Frank recalled: “David said to me, ‘I don’t think you’ll be happy when you see [the show].
“They don’t play Three Lions,’” Frank told Josh Widdicombe on the Frank Off The Radio podcast.
“Maybe the National Theatre said it was jingoistic… to suggest that England is the home of football?
“Well, we can’t suggest that!”
MATT REVS UP FOR NEW ROLE
IT’S not just the pooches wearing a dog collar as Matthew Lewis steps into his latest TV role.
The star, best known for playing far-from-hunky Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, is a dishy clergyman in Channel 5 drama Murder Before Evensong, based on Rev Richard Coles’ best-selling book.
8
8
8
And these first pictures confirm he will play shady vicar Canon Daniel Clement in the show, which is currently filming and due to air later in 2025.
I previously revealed that the crime novel, written by I’m A Celebrity star Richard, was being adapted into a mystery series.
The story follows Matthew’s character Daniel, who shares his rectory with his widowed mother and two dogs, after a body is found at the back of the church.
The unfortunate murder victim had been stabbed in the neck with secateurs.
Moving in on the sleepy village, the police find bodies piling up, as Daniel desperately tries to keep his frightened community together to help catch the killer.
Matthew previously said of his role: “I’m beyond thrilled to be throwing on the old dog collar.”
He will be joined on screen by Tamzin Outhwaite, Amanda Redman, Amit Shah, Adam James and Marion Bailey.
COLSON’S SOLD OUT ROVERS
CORONATION Street’s Rovers Return is being put up for sale.
Former show star Colson Smith accidentally let slip the spoiler in a post waving goodbye to his role as the soap’s Craig Tinker after 14 years on screen.
8
Commemorating his final day on set, he clambered up on to the roof of the show’s pub, showing off a large “For Sale”.
The series currently films around a month and a half ahead of broadcast – and Colson’s post reveals that, in the coming weeks, landlady Jenny Bradley, played by Sally Ann Matthews, will be pushed towards selling The Rovers.
She had bought the pub using money stolen from stepdaughter Carla Connor – played by Alison King – but with her theft recently exposed, she’s been forced to pay her back.
Now it looks like she will be forced to put the Weatherfied watering hole up for sale and be replaced as the landlady.
Bizbit
AMANDA ABBINGTON is keen to join Loose Women as a panelist.
Discussing the ITV1 show, the Strictly star said: “It’s nice to have women’s views on things.
“Women of a certain age tend to get painted as moaning and complaining, but I think it would be good to get up there and have fun.”
AN INSIDE JOB FOR RYLANCE
WOLF Hall: The Mirror And The Light was one of the BBC’s most highly anticipated series last year after almost a decade off-screen.
But its director Peter Kosminsky has revealed that the six-parter almost didn’t make it to screens as filming outside was proving too expensive.
8
The series, which stars Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis and, had outside scenes changed to “conversations in rooms” to cut spending.
Some props, locations and even cast members were axed just over a month before filming.
Peter said: “Many scenes were set outside involving horses and a joust – and we had to cut everything.
“That’s never happened to me before.”
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.