The Apprentice 2018: Is the TV shopping channel task real? What channel are they on?

THE APPRENTICE 2018 tonight sees the remaining candidates trying to sell products live on a TV shopping channel. But is the challenge real and what channel do the candidates appear on?


Is the TV shopping task teal?


After all, the only true way they could see how well the candidates can sell on a TV shopping channel is having them hosting a real segment and letting real people buy the items.


This led to an iconic moment in Apprentice’s 2007 season where Lord Sugar watched as eventual winner Simon Ambrose screwed in a leg of a trampoline while that leg was in a rather risque position in front of his groin.


still from the apprentice tv shopping channel task

The TV shopping channel task on The Apprentice is real (Image: BBC)


QVC have also been the channel which the US series Celebrity Apprentice has candidates sell on.

However, in tonight’s episode, the candidates sell items on TJC, formerly known as The Jewellery Channel.



still from apprentice tv shopping channel task

This year the TV shopping channel the Apprentice candidates are selling on is TJC (Image: BBC)

As anticipated, the results are toe-curling in the extreme, with one candidate in particular doing a terrible job.


She said an ideal host was: “A quick-thinking, multi-tasker with bags of personality who can handle immediate changes of direction.

“They need to remember a huge amount of detail to entertain and inform, present and sell, in several live and totally unscripted hours each day.”

apprentice's tom on qvc

Tom Pellereau proved to be a whizz on TV shopping channels after The Apprentice (Image: BBC)


However, at least one Apprentice winner has since gone on to become a minor shopping channel celebrity since leaving the show.

2011 winner Tom Pellereau managed to sell a staggering 36,000 of his curved nail files on GVC in under 25 minutes.

Viewers will have to tune into tonight’s The Apprentice to find out if any of this year’s candidates can manage a similar success.

The Apprentice 2018 continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One