Good Morning Britain star should wipe the floor with Celebrity Apprentice rivals
He's background puts him miles ahead of most of his competitors!
After six years off our screens, the Celebrity Apprentice is back, with rumoured cast member Rob Rinder already emerging as a frontrunner.
The original UK version of The Apprentice first hit screens in 2005 and saw a group of aspiring entrepreneurs undertaking business-related challenges that had been set by magnate Alan Sugar.
There have been 19 seasons of the show air to date, as well as several celebrity spin-offs. The first was broadcast in 2007 and done in aid of the charity Comic Relief.
Stars on that special included Piers Morgan (who was the only one fired), Alastair Campbell, Cheryl Cole, Ross Kemp, and Trinny Woodall.
Subsequent versions aired in 2009 and 2019, with the fourth to air later this year to mark the show’s 20th anniversary.
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This week the cast for the upcoming season appeared to have been leaked – with names in the mix including Rinder, EastEnders star Jake Wood, comedian Eddie Kadi, JLS’ JB Gill, Gladiators’ Matt Morsia, presenter AJ Odudu, Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox, and DJ and radio star Charlie Hedges.
Rob Rinder is reported to have signed up to the BBC series (Picture: Ian West/ PA Wire)Other stars said to be taking part are also actress and Strictly star Sarah Hadland, comedian Shazia Mirza, presenter Angela Scanlon and entrepreneur Tom Skinner, as reported by The Sun.
Despite Skinner previously appearing on the show and seemingly having an advantage, it’s Rinder who could be the stand-out.
The 46-year-old’s career as a barrister has seen him specialising in cases involving international fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime.
Some of the most notable cases he worked on included the murders of Leticia Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis in a drive-by-shooting in 2003 and the defence of British servicemen on charges of manslaughter after the deaths of detainees in Iraq.
His TV career began when hosting Judge Rinder from 2014 until 2020 (Picture: ITV) He also joined Good Morning Britain in 2022 (Picture: Ken McKay/ ITV/ Shutterstock)It was in 2014, while he was still a practising barrister, that he began hosting the reality series Judge Rinder, which saw him act as an arbitrator overseeing civil cases.
That role saw him become known as the ‘British Judge Judy’ and garner support for his cross-examination skills but also ‘empathetic’ approach.
At the same time as presenting this series, Rinder also competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, finishing in fifth place.
He’s also been a presenter on Good Morning Britain since 2022, where he’s built a reputation for not holding back and grilling politicians who appear on the show.
His biggest competition comes from The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner (Picture:Gareth Cattermole/ Getty Images)The legal professional also continues to weigh in on well-publicised cases, calling for the law to be changed in 2022 after Lucy Letby refused to attend her sentence hearing.
‘She was allowed to stay away and not hear the unbearable pain of her victims. Her absence was lawful. It’s time to change that law. Now,’ he posted on X.
During his time in the public eye, Rinder has picked up countless fans (he has 259,000 Instagram followers), who regularly throw their support behind him, including begging for him to ‘appear on GMB more regularly’.
He is yet to comment on rumours he’s signed up for Celebrity Apprentice. However, if his past experience has shown, he knows how to argue his case (and win) and can remain level-headed in the most stressful of situations – traits Lord Sugar will no doubt be on the lookout for.
The celebrities will be faced with Baroness Karren Brady, Lord Alan Sugar and Tim Campbell (Picture: BBC/ Naked)Going up against those in the entertainment industry also provides him an edge with his business background.
Aside from his TV and legal work, Rinder has also written two novels – The Trial and The Suspect.
Since the cast list appeared to have been leaked, fans of the show have been weighing in, with many saying they were excited to see Odudu compete and that having Skinner back was an ‘iconic’ move.
The most recent Celebrity Apprentice special included stars like Amanda Holden, Rylan Clark and Russell Kane split into a boys and girls team to raise money for Comic Relief by organising and hosting a cabaret event in 48 hours, with the girls emerging victorious.
Metro has contacted the BBC and representatives for Rob Rinder for comment.
The Apprentice is due to air on the BBC later this year.
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