"it takes real guts to get involved"
Former Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur gave her surprising take on the opening task of the 2026 series.
The series opener saw 20 candidates sent to Hong Kong and tasked to buy nine items at the lowest price.
However, the task ended up being a disaster for both teams.
The Girls’ Team only correctly sourced two items and half of the group missed the meeting point deadline by two hours.
On social media, viewers claimed it was one of the worst displays by candidates.
But Harpreet, who won the 2022 series, had a different assessment.
Harpreet, who is exclusively working with Sky Vegas, exclusively told DESIblitz:
“The first episode was amazing. Both teams performed really strongly. Obviously, there’s always a losing team, but they were in Hong Kong, completely out of their comfort zone.”
Harpreet stressed that opening tasks are notoriously difficult, even before unfamiliar locations and heightened scrutiny are added.
She continued: “The first task is difficult enough anyway; with so many personalities, the pressure of the cameras, and facing the boardroom, it’s even more challenging.
“So, hats off to them. I can’t say either team did terribly, because it takes real guts to get involved in the first place.”
Harpreet Kaur also acknowledged the limitations of early episodes:
“It’s really difficult in the first episode to see who’s got real skill, because from both a viewer and editing perspective, they’re trying to show as many candidates as possible.
“There are some personalities we haven’t had the chance to see properly yet.”
Despite the difficulties, Harpreet singled out Karishma Vijay for her confident negotiation during the task.
“That said, Karishma really stood out for me. Her negotiation with the girls was a standout moment.
“She didn’t just secure the product; she managed to get a lot of money knocked off as well, which is exactly what the task is about.
“It looked effortless. She just went for it and seemed to know exactly how to play that moment.
“I was really impressed with her, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from her – and from a lot of the other candidates too.”
Both Nikki Jetha and Georgina Newton ended up being fired, a moment that surprised Harpreet:
“I didn’t expect a double firing in the first episode.
“I thought it would happen at some point, maybe even later on, when there are so many candidates and multiple firings feel inevitable.
“But I definitely didn’t think it would be straight away.
“Everyone was as shocked as I was – especially because both people fired were in leadership positions.”
Harpreet believes it indicates a more ruthless approach from Lord Sugar this series.
Reflecting on the firings of Nikki and Georgina, Harpreet drew on her own experience of the process.
“As someone who’s been through the process, I know how hard it is.”
“When you’re under that level of pressure, personalities can take over, and viewers don’t always see just how stressful it really is.”
Addressing Nikki’s exit specifically, Harpreet felt the circumstances worked against her:
“With Nikki, I feel like we didn’t really get to see her true leadership potential.
“It all just seemed a bit too much for her in that moment.”
Although it appeared harsh, Harpreet agreed with Lord Sugar’s decision:
“I can’t say I disagree with Lord Sugar. At the end of the day, he has years of experience, not just in business but also from 20 years on the show.
“He knows what he’s doing.
“Sometimes it’s not only about performance on one task. It’s about the bigger picture – how someone comes across, how they speak in the boardroom, and how they defend themselves.
“Ultimately, he’s deciding who he can see a future business relationship with, so we have to trust his judgment.”
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