Lord Alan Sugar on the new series of The Apprentice

Lord Sugar, could you tell us how the candidates were recruited for series six of The Apprentice? How involved you were in the process?

As always, aspiring candidates were encouraged to apply via the BBC website. The most impressive applicants are then invited to the interview process at which point we are always able to sift out the chancers and wannabes.

I always look at the final CVs and scrutinise every one. Ultimately one of these candidates will eventually have to join my organisation and that is something I take extremely seriously.

What was your favourite moment of series six?

There are some great moments in this series but a particular favourite of mine was the international task where they will have to sell crisps to the Germans, who, let's just say, have a very particular taste preference.

What was the worst moment of all the series?

It's never good when candidates who are experienced in a particular field end up under-performing in a task that lends itself to their apparent skill set. This happens during the new series and it really gets on my wick.

What advice would you have for 16-year-old business GCSE students - should they continue studying business or crack on and get a job?

There is no right or wrong route to success. The academic route isn't for everybody, but that isn't to say all 16-year-olds should pack in their school work. I left school with no qualifications and went on to achieve great things in business, but courses for horses, as they say.

You've said that Philip Green would be too far out of his comfort zone to succeed at the challenges you set the candidates...

I am certain that if you took any of our country's most successful businessmen and put them in a factory, having had no sleep and told them to make sausages and then sell them on a market stall, they would fail.

The Apprentice is all about taking people out of their comfort zones and seeing how they perform. Even Philip Green has an Achilles heel, I'm sure!

Do you enjoy watching the finished TV show or does it wind you up?

Yes absolutely, it's the first chance I get to see how they actually performed on a task as opposed to relying on reports from Nick Hewer and Karren Brady. Some of the mistakes they make are laughable.

Have you ever privately changed your mind over firing a candidate and wished you'd kept them in for an extra week?

I have never regretted a decision, but yes, there are some candidates that perhaps should have stayed in the process for a longer period.

Have you ever spotted a kindred spirit in a candidate - someone who reminds you of yourself?

I'm cut from a different cloth and have yet to meet a candidate that is a replication of me, but there are certainly candidates in the past who have shown flashes of me when I was younger.

What are you most proud of about The Apprentice's success - especially since it hasn't been matched in the US Apprentice?

I'm proud of how far we've come. From being considered a somewhat niche programme on BBC Two to being recognised as one of BBC One's highest rating shows really is no mean feat.

We are now on our sixth series and looking forward to seventh so we've proven what a successful format The Apprentice can be when fronted by Lord Sugar as opposed to Donald Trump.

Lord Sugar is a respected businessman and entrepreneur and star of The Apprentice.

The Apprentice is on BBC One and BBC HD on Wednesday, 6 October at 9pm.

To find out times of future programme times, please visit the upcoming episodes page.

Fiona Wickham is editor of the BBC TV blog.