BBC and The Apprentice Producer Discuss Future of Contestant with Offensive Tweets in Upcoming Spin-Off

BBC and Producer Naked Review Controversial Apprentice Contestant’s Past Tweets

Discussions are underway between the BBC and the production company Naked regarding whether Levi Hodgetts-Hague, a contestant from The Apprentice, should appear on the spin-off series Unfinished Business after offensive tweets from his past have surfaced.

All of Hodgetts-Hague’s scenes for The Apprentice have been filmed. The newly branded Unfinished Business, which was formerly known as You’re Fired, will release episodes weekly. Each episode follows the live airing of The Apprentice as host Alan Sugar interviews contestants who have been eliminated.

In response to recent developments, the BBC has instructed Naked—owned by Fremantle—to conduct a thorough review of the social media vetting processes utilized for contestants. This request was made promptly after the BBC became aware of the tweets on Friday.

Naked acknowledged that its "rigorous" third-party checks failed to identify Hodgetts-Hague’s problematic posts and expressed intentions to reassess their procedures moving forward. A representative for Naked commented, “Levi’s historical posts contain language which is unacceptable, and Levi has been spoken to about this behaviour. He has apologised and insists that these posts do not reflect the man he is now.”

Hodgetts-Hague himself has taken responsibility for his past actions, stating, “They are not a reflection of the values I uphold today.” He expressed regret for his previous posts and apologized to the production team for not disclosing his past behavior. Additionally, he noted that shortly after posting in 2013, he joined the Royal Air Force in hopes of personal development, crediting that experience with fostering significant growth.

The BBC and Naked have previously faced challenges in making similar decisions related to The Apprentice. In 2024, following considerable backlash from Jewish organizations and staff, the BBC removed segments from You’re Fired featuring Dr. Asif Munaf, who had made antisemitic statements on social media. Munaf was subsequently removed from the UK medical register for his hateful posts.

The Apprentice is set to debut its 20th season in just ten days. Originating from the American series once hosted by Donald Trump, it remains one of the BBC’s most successful programs, maintaining strong ratings over the years. The series has also recently greenlit its first full celebrity season. Hodgetts-Hague is among 20 competitors vying for a £250,000 ($330,000) prize and the opportunity to collaborate with Sugar.

Unfinished Business, hosted by Angela Scanlon, will air immediately following the first episode of The Apprentice. This companion series, which has been running since 2006 under its previous name, will also provide an audio format on BBC Sounds, akin to The Traitors: Uncloaked.