Laura Whitmore ‘infuriates’ BBC after pulling out of Celebrity Apprentice days before filming
It's back on our screens after six years.
It’s been claimed that Laura Whitmore has ‘infuriated’ BBC bosses after apparently pulling out of Celebrity Apprentice.
The Irish model and TV presenter, 39, is the former host of Love Island and was a member of the panel on Celebrity Juice between 2020 and 2022.
According to sources, Laura’s next step on TV was to feature on Celebrity Apprentice, which is returning to British TV after six years away.
First established in 2005, Celebrity Apprentice was set up to raise money for Comic Relief and broadcast subsequent specials in 2007 and 2019.
This year’s line-up is rumoured to include TV judge Rob Rinder, JLS singer and Strictly contestant JB Gill, ex-Apprentice candidate Tom Skinner, and Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu, among others.
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But it sounds like Laura won’t be joining them.
She won’t get the chance to impress Lord Sugar (Picture: BBC/Naked/Ray Burmiston/Rufina B)A source told MailOnline: ‘Laura infuriated BBC bosses by pulling out of the Celebrity Apprentice special. Of course, there can be a lot of last-minute changes in television, but it was just days before filming started and the team were very much left in the lurch.
‘The dates did not work for Laura and so she backed out, but many were left in an awkward position by her decision.’
Other stars said to be taking part in Celebrity Apprentice 2025 include Strictly star Sarah Hadland, comedian Shazia Mirza, presenter Angela Scanlon, and former The Apprentice contestant Tom Skinner.
The former Love Island host has apparently had a scheduling clash (Picture: Neil Mockford/GC Images)Gladiator star Legend – real name Matt Morsia – Paralympics gold medallist Kadeena Cox, and BBC Radio 1’s Charlie Hedges were also mentioned in the ‘leaked’ line-up.
After stepping down from presenting Love Island three years ago, Laura has been pursuing an acting career, with rehearsals currently ongoing for a London play.
Apex Predator, which will be performed at the Hampstead Theatre in north London, stars Laura as school teacher Ana, who helps a struggling mum with unconventional methods.
Celebrity Apprentice has run in aid of Comic Relief since 2005 (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock)The play’s description reads: ‘As [mum] Mia desperately looks for something in her life she can control, [her son] Alfie’s teacher Ana proposes an unconventional route to empowerment – and suddenly the hunted becomes the hunter.’
Rumours of Laura’s decision to step down from Celebrity Apprentice have come just two weeks after she shared the last message she received from late TV presenter Caroline Flack.
Flack, who presented Love Island from 2015 and 2019, died in 2020 and was replaced by Laura thereafter.
Laura is starring in a London play over spring 2025 (Picture: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty)‘I got a new phone this month and, as I was trying to download WhatsApp messages from my cloud, loads of old messages came up. Ones I thought I lost a few years ago and no longer had. It really hit me hard,’ Laura said.
‘Looking at messages I’ve never publicly shared as they were private messages. Media outlets wrote a lot far from the actual truth. I think they show a side to Caroline which is nice to remember. Hence I’m sharing now.’
There were already plans in place for Laura to step in as Love Island host before Flack took her own life amid personal issues in her private life.
Laura continued: ‘She wasn’t perfect and I didn’t know her as well as others but I knew she had her demons.’
The post showed that Flack was wishing Whitmore good luck as she took over her role as the host of Love Island, and was happy that she was taking on the role.
Metro has contacted Laura Whitmore for comment on this story.
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