Latest news with #AlanSugar
Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Claude Littner: ‘I went skiing in my swimming trunks in the Alps'
Claude Littner moved with his American mother and Austrian Jewish father (who had fled Nazi-occupied Paris) from New York to London in the 1950s and, at 25, set up a menswear concession on Oxford Street. In the 1980s he became a turnaround specialist, helping failing businesses, and was a boss at Amstrad International under Alan Sugar, and chief executive of Tottenham Hotspur. Littner, 76, who is known for his confrontational interviewing style on The Apprentice, is estimated to be worth £34 million. Mexican boat men strike a hard bargain. I discovered this in 2002 on a solo sailing trip on the Riviera Maya. My single-sail boat had capsized and I was swimming next to it with a cut leg, hearing the drumbeat of the Jaws theme tune in my ears. It was only my wife Thelma's quick action that saved me: she saw from the shore that my sail had disappeared beneath the water and had sent these two young Mexican fellows out to get me. 'Do you want to be rescued? It's $200,' one of the young men said, gruffly. Frankly, I was in a weak bargaining position, gripping onto my capsized hull with a bleeding leg, but I argued them down to $100. That was the end of my holiday sailing hobby. I've always been an adventurous traveller. Aged 22 my best friend Leonard and I borrowed his mother's old family saloon car and drove to the south of France with a two-man canvas tent and a Bunsen burner, which we planned to use to prepare hot chocolates next to the campfires. Stopping off in Paris, we had the bright idea of getting together the ingredients for toffee apples and having a go at the recipe in our hotel room. We put our Bunsen flame to the sugar and butter mixture, set off the hotel alarm and were summarily kicked out of the old-fashioned Parisian hotel, red-faced. In my teens I caught the tennis bug from my gung-ho Czech aunt Draha, who encouraged me to skip my homework and play tennis in London parks. By the time Thelma and I married [in 1976] our holidays revolved around when and how I could get to a tennis club: I'd find myself catching buses or hitchhiking to tennis clubs in rural France. But skiing is my true love. My first time on the slopes was in 1961, in Club Med Leysin in Switzerland, and through the 1960s my parents and I went skiing most winters. We'd alternate between Davos, which was all very formal with bands in suits playing over dinner; Courchevel, which has always been for proper skiers; and Isola, a ski resort in the southern French Alps where there's a photo of me skiing in my swimming trunks it was so unseasonably hot. These days, we go to the Sierra Nevada in Spain and Thelma and I enjoy the après-ski as my kids and five grandkids, who are all terrific skiers, take to the slopes. • 15 of the best hotels in Marbella I've travelled to some fabulous places in my decades as a businessman: the US, where I'd hang out on oil rigs and on ranches with big-talking men with Stetsons and guns that they would shoot at anything; and on the road with Tottenham Hotspur, including a memorable tour of Asia. On that tour I basked in the team's reflected fame: I played football in Hong Kong Stadium with Jürgen Klinsmann and we stayed at these futuristic five-star hotels, but you would see old Chinese guys riding horses along the motorway as if it was the 1800s. China was exhilarating: a country where several centuries seemed to be happening at once. Thelma and I have taken to cruising in our later years. We had a memorable trip to Alaska in 2013 where we went on a husky-sledding adventure through these pristine, snowy landscapes with looming icebergs and disporting whales. In 2015 we took a cruise through India and Vietnam, visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, and the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Viet Cong's defensive network near Ho Chi Minh City, which was set with traps to catch and maim American servicemen. That was quite moving for me as I was born in the US and many of my contemporaries were drafted into that bloody war. I may have an uncompromising persona on The Apprentice, but in real life I'm nothing like that. When I travel I make a point of being polite to waiters and hotel staff: that's the way you get the best service, I've found, not by throwing your weight around. • The surprising ski resort that finally persuaded my husband to join me The place I return to again and again is Marbella. I first visited in 1964 when it was a deserted kind of place: just a few hotels, unpaved roads and nothing around. I came of age in a 1970s Marbella nightclub called Pepe Moreno. It attracted stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Aristotle Onassis in its heyday and there would be sangria on tap. Today I have an apartment in a quiet neighbourhood of Marbella and our extended family gathers there whenever we can. The first thing I do when I arrive is go to Dalli's Pasta Factory. It's an Italian-owned pasta joint that I used to go to with my parents and where the owners greet me like family. It's the same order every time: spaghetti napoletana grande, and muchisimo on the cheese. I am on holiday, after all.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Apprentice star signs for next series of Strictly Come Dancing and hopes to get his catchphrase on the BBC show
APPRENTICE star Thomas Skinner is to swap the boardroom for ballroom after signing to appear in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing. The Cockney entrepreneur, 34 — known for his catchphrase 'Bosh!' — was first introduced to viewers on Lord Alan Sugar's show in 2019. 1 He also won fans over when he starred on Celebrity Masterchef in 2020, and with his social media content. A source said yesterday: 'Thomas hasn't any dancing experience, but he's up for giving the competition his best shot. ' Strictly bosses are hoping he'll get the dads watching. He has a massive following, especially with working-class blokes. 'He's a huge football fan and enjoys pies and gravy. He's not a luvvie at all. 'He's bound to get his catchphrase 'Bosh' on to the show, too." Thomas, who has three kids with wife Sinéad, was asked previously about appearing on the BBC1 dance show. He said: 'My mum loves it, she'd love me to do that.' And he recently underwent a body transformation, shedding weight and bulking up in the gym. A spokeswoman for Strictly declined to comment.
Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Dean Franklin: My last big expense? The £700 tux I wore on The Apprentice
Dean Franklin became the first male winner of The Apprentice since 2017 when he persuaded Alan Sugar to invest £250,000 in his air-conditioning business ADL. The 35-year-old from London beat the pizza firm owner and London School of Economics graduate Anisa Khan in the final of the BBC1 series in April. He's the first tradesman to win the show in nine years. The self-styled 'Daddy Cool' admits he struggled during the 'brutal' interviews in the penultimate episode of the long-running show — especially an awkward exchange about a photo he had posted online as a joke after installing air conditioning units in an adult shop. After being crowned winner, Franklin was accused of not obtaining an F-Gas certificate (required to ensure fluorinated gases used in
NZ Herald
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Comfort TV shows: What your guilty pleasure viewing says about your personality
As an entertainment journalist and confessed comfort show watcher (and someone who speaks to many other comfort show watchers), I've picked up a few ideas on what people gravitate towards, and this can often tell me a bit about how they are feeling. From Married At First Sight to The Office and even Tiger King, there are different tastes for different people and no shortage of variation out there. Nostalgia, a laugh, feeling good about yourself, escapism, and even wanting to live vicariously through others are things expert psychologists think draw people to their nightly comfort shows. Here are some of the key comfort show staples, and what they say about their respective audiences. Business reality TV shows The Apprentice, Shark Tank, Dragons Den You're likely an ambitious person, as well as someone who likes experiencing the thrill of high stakes to wind down. You like seeing people's successes and also seeing people's failures, as it helps you gauge what and what not to do in your daily life when you're not in front of the screen. While you may not be the most passive comfort show watcher, you still feel fulfilled at the end of the night and rest easy knowing you've followed a journey that's not your own. Maybe you'll be the next recipient of Lord Alan Sugar's (The Apprentice UK) investment, or your genius bamboo toothbrush idea will hit the right note with the sharks on Shark Tank. Sitcom stalwarts Friends, Seinfeld, The Office, New Girl You watch for one of three reasons: to laugh, to catch up so you can say you've 'seen it', or to scroll your phone while eventually being amused at the action on screen. These shows focus on friendship, so when you are engaging, you're usually enjoying the friend group dynamics and enjoying seeing the often-blunt social humour. People who like sitcoms are usually very meme-aware, so referencing quotable quotes also gives you a form of comfort. Sitcom watchers tend to have empathic qualities, so two people discussing the merits of a 'Puffy Shirt' (Seinfeld) or listing off 'Prison Mike' quotes (The Office) is always a good sign. Home renovation shows The Block, House Rules, Grand Designs Are you building a house or renovating a kitchen? Or are you completely useless with your hands and have no idea about the above tasks? Chances are you love a good home renovation show. While home reno show comfort watchers vary in building skills, they are generally curious people who get satisfaction from seeing a job get done. They also like seeing the personal side of the building process and the on-site dynamics. Naturally, you may have blurted out 'I reckon I can do that' at one point or immediately gone to Mitre 10 after to grab some supplies for a project you have no intention of completing. True crime documentary Tiger King, Making A Murderer, The Jinx Now, we get to the psychopaths – the people who relish a good true crime series to calm down. Watching grim murder re-enactments and gruelling court trials is some viewers' idea of a good way to destress, but I can't help needing to switch to something much lighter after watching these shows . Perhaps you like seeing justice served and that is your comfort, or your brain is wired to think that after a good night of heavy reflection about human moral fibre you'll sleep soundly. Either way, people who are into true crime often have the best stories to tell and a wild personal history that they are willing to divulge. Dating/relationship reality TV shows Married at First Sight (Mafs), Beauty and the Geek, Love Island Hopeless and non-hopeless romantics, as well as people who don't take themselves too seriously or are dragged into it by their flatmates or partner, are likely avid watchers of dating and relationship reality. Because these shows are generally blatantly trashy, they are the ultimate 'feel good about yourself and learn about not what to do' shows. Advertise with NZME. If you watch these shows for comfort, you're keen on spilling the tea to anyone and everyone, and love having a joke about the lore surrounding the show. You've probably got a great sense of humour and/or enjoy watching social dynamics unfold. More often than not, however, you will categorically state that you never want to step foot on the shows in question yourself, although you may joke about it from time to time. HBO comedies Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sex and the City, Ballers, Entourage, Hacks Finally, we get to my own personal comfort shows. If you like these shows you probably love staying up late, but more importantly, love nostalgia. You also might own a DVD or video player, and possibly hung on to hard copies until the bitter end, when you could no longer rent stuff from your local Blockbuster store. Some of these shows haven't aged well, and some newer seasons haven't lived up to the original heights of old. But I know there are folks out there who still want to hang in Upper East Side NYC with Carrie Bradshaw and the gang (Sex and the City) or join movie star Vinnie Chase and his boys on a wild Hollywood escapade (Entourage). Just make sure you don't turn into Larry David and try to C urb Your Enthusiasm.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Apprentice: Final five to battle it out after double elimination
Lord Alan Sugar has selected the five final Apprentice candidates in with a chance of becoming his next business partner. The 78-year-old magnate fired workwear brand owner Liam Snellin and competitive bodybuilder and entrepreneur Mia Collins during Thursday night's installment of the BBC One reality show. After 10 weeks' worth of challenges, store owner Amber-Rose Badrudin, pizza company owner Anisa Khan, virtual assistant company owner Chisola Chitambala, animation entrepreneur Jordan Dargan and air conditioning company owner Dean Franklin have all made it through to the penultimate episode. The budding entrepreneurs will have their business plans picked apart during the gruelling interviews stage next week. READ MORE: The Apprentice: all you need to know about new series from candidates to start date BBC The Apprentice: Most successful winners revealed Apprentice star Noor on skipping You're Fired spin-off The candidates secured their places after they were tasked with launching an environmentally conscious and sustainable fashion brand during Thursday's episode. Reflecting on making it to the final five, Badrudin said: 'It's one of the proudest moments of my life, to be honest. 'I had kind of set a goal going into the process that I really wanted to make the interview stage, and I was laser-focused on getting there.' Khan said she was not confident she would make it to the final five due to the losses she had faced. 'I thought he was going to fire me because obviously at that point that was my eighth loss and compared to everyone else, I had the most losses', she said. 'So even though I felt confident, like for example, in task 10, I actually thought I did well as an individual because I had the highest sales, and I kept level-headed and I contributed. 'But then he was talking about the overall performance within the series and then I was scared that my losses would be the reason why I don't get any further. 'So, when he finally said that I'd got to the final five a tear did come out! I remember Amber-Rose and Chisola burst out crying. I was really happy with them.' Chitambala said she felt 'grateful' and 'blessed', while Franklin called it 'the best thing'. Dargan expressed his confidence and said: 'Going in I wasn't going in there to even get to the final five, I'm going in to win. 'So I expected this from the minute I applied to be on the show, to be honest.' He added: 'As the process went on, I became more confident, I became more aware of what Lord Sugar was looking for in a candidate. I knew I'd make the final five, without a doubt.' Last week's episode saw Max England fired, with Lord Sugar saying he had 'made quite a lot of mistakes' after the candidates faced a high-pressure TV shopping task. Lord Sugar will select the two finalists in with the chance of securing the business tycoon's £250,000 investment in next week's episode. Last year, fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford, who launched her boutique gym business North Studio during Covid, won the series. The Apprentice airs Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
