The Apprentice fans shocked by candidates' 'inappropriate' outfits

This year marks the 20th season of The Apprentice, with Lord Sugar trying to freshen up the format by featuring more candidates than ever before and sending them abroad for their first task. 

Yet loyal viewers have been left unimpressed with the latest series, claiming the show has turned into Love Island due to its reliance on Gen Z contestants and reality stars.

The majority of candidates this year have been in their 20s, with recruitment consultant and influencer Pascha Myhill - who was just 21 at the time of filming - being the youngest.

She boasts 28,000 followers on TikTok but is not the only content creator bidding for the prize money. Skincare entrepreneur Karishma Vijay, 28, has an even bigger audience, with a staggering 497,000 social media fans.

The candidates have also been criticised for their 'unprofessional' clothing, with many wearing crop tops, mini skirts and skintight jumpsuits on the show.

One outraged viewer tweeted that the candidates needed to 'put some clothes on', noting the group looked like they were 'auditioning for Love Island'. 

Appearance also came up during the show's iconic Interviews episode, in which the candidates are grilled on their business proposals by Lord Sugar's trusted panel of experts.

Pascha was warned to be mindful of the images she posts online after it was revealed she used a snap hanging out of a car while clad in a corset as her LinkedIn profile picture.  

Even the show's trusted advisers have been giving viewers a double take. 

Karren Brady, who joined the show in 2010, has been described as looking like 'a completely different person' by fans thanks to her slimmed-down figure. But some have accused her of editing her photos after noticing a difference between her social media posts and her on-screen appearance. 

They wrote: 'Karen you look amazing but - Doesn’t look like this on tv'; 'The AI is strong with this one'; 'Filters, filters, filters'; 'You don’t look like you?'

Meanwhile, the experts brought in have been for the younger demographic, with Love Island's Zara McDermott drafted in to advise the team about social media campaigns, while TV personality Big Zuu was brought in as a bottled water entrepreneur.

The changes have prompted many fans to compare the latest series to a dating show, with one frustrated viewer tweeting: 'I hate that this show has turned into love island influencer central #theapprentice.'

The comparison will no doubt irk Marnie Swindells, the winner of The Apprentice in 2023, who hit back at critics who compared the show's lineup to the cast of the ITV2 show. 

The businesswoman, who used Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment to open Bronx boxing gym last year, told the Daily Mail that times have changed and old fashioned attitudes towards social media need to change.

She said: 'I'm so bored of hearing The Apprentice/Love Island comparison. Since when did those two things become mutually exclusive?

'You can be hot, sexy, attractive, care about how you look and be an incredible businesswoman or man! Those two things don't have to be separate.

'I think it's a very old school, stuck in the past way of approaching business. Some of the tools and avenues to success social media and social media is all about how you look.

'So how you look is an important tool in business. Of course that would be reflected in how people present themselves.'

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Viewers will also have noticed a change in the show's format after the BBC axed big-budget treats for the candidates. 

Previously, contestants enjoyed treats such as spa trips and even helicopter rides after winning tasks - yet none were awarded this year. 

A source explained to the Sun: 'The Apprentice is known for laying on lavish gifts for the winning team.

'Fans love to see the get to celebrate their victory by enjoying themselves. However, the producers want the viewers to see more of the fiery boardroom debates this year.'

But the change in format has failed to grab viewers' attention, with only 3.1million viewers tuning in to the first episode of season 20 compared to an average of 8.8million during the show's peak series in 210. 

But Lord Sugar, 79, has defended the relevance of the show and insists it is attracting a younger demographic.

Reflecting on two decades of the programme in an interview with Radio Times, he said: 'Every single year I get a new generation of youngsters, 13- or 15-year-olds, tuning in. The 15-year-old of 20 years ago is now 35.

'If you said to him, "Do you watch The Apprentice any more?" you'll get, "No, it's s***. He talks a lot of b*******. He doesn't know what he's talking about".

'But the new 15-year-olds are so in awe of it. And the show has created an awareness for business that's done a great service for young people.'

He added about the show's future: 'It's not down to me but we have agreed another three years.

'I guess there'll come a time when either I'm a bit knackered or viewers are phoning in and complaining that I'm like Joe Biden and losing the plot.

'The BBC will spend a few grand on some market research people and ask, "Should we get rid of Lord Sugar or what?" But, at the moment, I love doing it because it's really about starting a business from scratch with young people.'