You can’t fire me, I resign Lord Sugar: Nick Hewer to leave The Apprentice

The dry humoured, eyebrow raising star of The Apprentice Nick Hewer is “leaving the process” after 10 years because he needs a rest.

Hewer, 70, who like Karren Brady, and Margaret Mountford before her has reported back to Lord Sugar in the boardroom on team tasks, fired himself after Sunday’s final was recorded.

Explaining his decision, the former PR man said he had been “pondering” his departure from the hit series for some time and had decided that the end of the 10th run was a good moment.

He explained: “I leave with relief tinged with regret. Anyone can do what Karren and I have been doing, but it takes stamina to follow the candidates week after week – and my stamina is not up to those long weeks.

“I shall continue to enjoy the show from my armchair, marvelling at the candidates’ self-esteem, at the sky-high production values of the producers and at the extraordinary talent of my old friend Alan Sugar.”

Talking about the show Hewer said that said he’d enjoyed being a part of it over the past decade for two reasons: “Firstly, because it’s been fun and has opened up many unexpected opportunities for me.

“But more importantly, because I think the Apprentice is a truly valuable programme, teaching young people the basics of business, but not in a classroom setting – in a wonderfully entertaining format.”

He said the winners each year validated the value of the show.

“They are talented, creative and hardworking young people, all of whom are making a great success of their businesses,” he said.

Nick said: “Alan is a very generous friend. The best thing about working for him was there was always something going on – he has vibrancy about him.”
Taking to Twitter Hewer said:

Lord Sugar led the tributes to his long standing friends’ contribution to the show on Twitter saying:

Labour Party supporter Hewer, whose dry wit and spiky comments have made him a hit on BBC1’s Have I Got News For You, went into public relations in the mid-1960s and headed his own company for 30-plus years until it was sold in 1997.

He has looked after Lord Sugar’s public profile and has been a firm friend since they hooked up three decades ago.

Since launching his TV career on The Apprentice, he has also presented a number of shows including The Farm Fixer and The Town That Never Retired.