Covid? Never heard of it! Step into a carefree past: watch The Apprentice

Since Lord Sugar and his wannabes were last on our screens, the world has endured two years of a pandemic. You'd never know it from the new series - and I for one am grateful

Sometimes, change is the last thing you want. Yes, in the newfangled world of reality TV, you can now find innovative formats where dates are disposed of via a trapdoor or contestants woo each other without speaking the same language. But 2020 and 2021 were packed with enough plot twists to last a lifetime. This is why the return of TV staple The Apprentice is so welcome.

After two years off air, almost everything in the world has changed, bar the show itself. As always, Alan Sugar takes on a crop of business hopefuls who are confident to the point of delusion (which is how one of them actually described themselves in the first episode). Even the first few minutes of its return were characteristically thick with quotables: I am the EST of everything, which means I am the coolEST, smartEST and wickedEST in businEST", assured one contestant.