In a troubling development, the BBC has called for stricter background checks on contestants of the popular reality show The Apprentice, after one of the upcoming participants was found to have made a series of offensive posts on social media.
The messages from candidate Levi Hodgetts-Hague, as reported by the Sun on Sunday, included racist remarks towards Muslims and sexist comments about women. The production company behind the award-winning show, Naked, acknowledged that the social media checks “failed to flag the offensive posts”, and stated that the vetting process would be reviewed going forward.
Hodgetts-Hague has since apologised for the posts, which have now been deleted. The messages are said to have included attacks on Islam and the use of derogatory language to refer to women. Additionally, he reportedly expressed support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson in previous posts from 2013.
A BBC spokesperson described the views expressed in the posts as “totally unacceptable” and stated that the organisation is taking the matter “extremely seriously”. They added, “We were completely unaware that this contestant had made such abhorrent comments. We have asked the independent production company to fully review the social media checks undertaken given the process has clearly failed in this instance.”
The Apprentice, presented by Lord Sugar, is set to launch its 20th series on 29 January, with 20 contestants competing for the chance to win £250,000 and go into business with the tycoon. Filming for the upcoming season concluded in 2025, meaning Hodgetts-Hague’s participation in the programme remains unaffected.
In a statement to The Sun on Sunday, Hodgetts-Hague said he was “embarrassed and ashamed” by the posts he made more than a decade ago. “I offer my sincere apologies to all who I’ve offended, as well as my fellow candidates, for the truly awful language and views that they contain,” he said. “I take full accountability for the publishing of those posts. They are not a reflection of the values I uphold today.”
The production company, Naked, stated that it works with “reputable third-party providers” to conduct comprehensive background and social media checks on all candidates as part of its “rigorous due diligence” before casting. However, in this instance, the checks “failed to flag the offensive posts”, and the company will be reviewing the process moving forward.
This incident comes on the heels of a separate case involving a former Apprentice contestant, Dr Asif Munaf, who was struck off the medical register after a tribunal found that he had posted anti-Semitic, racist, and sexist comments on social media.
As the BBC and the production company work to address the issues raised by this latest controversy, the upcoming season of The Apprentice is sure to be closely scrutinised, with heightened attention on the vetting process and the conduct of its contestants.
