As series 17 of The Apprentice heads towards the finish line, the remaining candidates face the scrutiny of Lord Sugar’s most trusted advisors, in the fan favourite ‘Interviews Episode’. The team of business experts are primed and ready to pick apart business proposals and dig deep to find out who’s really got what it takes to become Lord Sugar’s next business partner. Only two candidates can proceed to the final and secure the life-changing £250,000 investment in their business.

Over the years, Lord Sugar has invested close to a staggering £3million into winning pitches, and this year’s ambitious entrepreneurs will be doing their utmost to prove they mean business as they fight it out for the life-changing investment opportunity.

Lord Sugar’s team of gruelling interviewers include Claude Littner, the notoriously tricky questioner and Lord Sugar’s longest serving business colleague returns just in time to put the candidates to the test. Joining Claude is businesswoman, Vice Chairman of West Ham United and Peer in the House of Lords, Baroness Karren Brady who will sit in the interviewer seat for the first time in over ten series, co-founder of Shortlist Media, Mike Soutar, and one of the first women to head a fashion company flotation on the London Stock Market and a panellist for organisations including top female entrepreneurs for HSBC’s Panel of Forward Ladies, the formidable Linda Plant.

We sat down with the team of interviewers ahead of this episode to uncover how they prepare, what they consider a successful interview and what constitutes as a failure. They share insider advice for anyone looking to start a business, as well as their most memorable moments from this episode throughout The Apprentice history.

The Interviews Episode will air on Thursday 16 March on BBC One and BBC iPlayer