Lord Sugar said he hopes that the tasks on this year’s Apprentice series will inspire people.

Speaking at the launch of the new series of the show, Lord Sugar said he wanted the programme to show its millions of viewers that it’s possible to start a new business from scratch.

“I see this as my service to the British public that in every episode there is something that everyone can do themselves,” the self-made millionaire explained.

Lord Sugar went on: “The actual tasks are practical. We’re going to scavenge a load of junk, look at it, alter it a little bit, polish it up and flog it.”

He added: “If that sparks off in the mind of 20, 50, 100 people watching to go off and do that then we’ve done a great job.”

The new series will kick off on Wednesday, with 16 candidates hoping to win a £250,000 investment into their own business idea.