Lord Alan Sugar has confessed there was only one person who he recognised when he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice Australia.
Addressing the assembled group of celebrities on the reality show, the 74-year-old business magnate told them: ‘Today I’m faced with a bunch of celebrities that I don’t know. I haven’t got a bloody clue who any of you are.’
He then zeroed in on English comedian Ross Noble, and revealed he was the only familiar face out of the group of 15.
Familiar face: Lord Alan Sugar has confessed he only recognised comedian Ross Noble (pictured) when he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice Australia
‘Apart from you, Ross. What are you doing here in Australia? You’re not in the witness protection scheme,’ he added.
During an interview on Today on Friday, Ross, 44, spoke about how his excitement at being recognised by the billionaire soon turned to dread.
‘He just went, “I haven’t heard of any of you. You’re all bloody nobodies.” And I’m thinking, “Oh,” and then he went, “Except him.” And I went, “Oh, that’s good!” and then I realised, that just painted a massive target on my back,’ he recounted.
‘Today I’m faced with a bunch of celebrities that I don’t know. I haven’t got a bloody clue who any of you are. Apart from you, Ross,’ Lord Alan Sugar (pictured) told the group
‘There was one or two egos that basically just like, giving it the biggin’, and then he went, “I know who he is,” and I just went, “Oh, God. That’s a target on my back now.”‘
Ross said Lord Sugar is ‘massive in the UK’, and he found it ‘funny’ that nobody else in the cast knew who he was.
‘He’s been doing the show for years and years and years over there, so I was probably more intimidated than everyone else,’ he added.
Mixed feelings: During an interview on Today on Friday, Ross, 44, spoke about how his excitement at being recognised by the billionaire soon turned to dread
‘They’re just going, “Oh, this is the new boss,” and I’m going, “Oh no. That’s Lord Sugar over there.”‘
Lord Sugar is taking over from Australian businessman Mark Bouris as host of the upcoming season, which is set to premiere on Channel Nine on May 23.
In an interview with TV WEEK magazine last week, he confessed he had no idea who the contestants set to appear on this year’s season were before filming the show.
‘There was one or two egos that basically just like, giving it the biggin’, and then he went, “I know who he is,” and I just went, “Oh, God. That’s a target on my back now,”‘ he said. Pictured with Today hosts David Campbell and Allison Langdon
‘I told them, “You might not know who I am, because you may be cocooned in your world in Australia,”‘ he continued.
‘”And the good news is, I don’t know who you are either. There’s no favouritism. I’m not going to be in awe of any of you, because I don’t know what the hell you do.”‘
This year’s contestants include fitness trainer Michelle Bridges, radio host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, and The Veronicas’ Lisa and Jess Origliasso.
Celebrity round-up: This year’s contestants include fitness trainer Michelle Bridges, radio host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, and The Veronicas’ Lisa and Jess Origliasso
Others to appear include The Block’s Shaynna Blaze, Married At First Sight’s Martha Kalifatidis, and singer Anthony Callea.
Without naming names, Lord Sugar revealed many of the celebrities were ‘so used to being treated as royalty’, and claimed he ‘had to put a couple in their place’.
The billionaire businessman will act as chief executive on Celebrity Apprentice Australia, after hosting the UK version since 2005.
The great unknown: Ross said Lord Sugar is ‘massive in the UK’, and he found it ‘funny’ that nobody else in the cast knew who he was