The BBC has expanded Karren Brady's 'glamour team' for new series of The Apprentice by hiring Love Island make-up artists to show candidates they can be 'sexy' and 'successful'

The BBC has expanded Karren Brady's 'glam squad' for The Apprentice by hiring Love Island make-up artists to show candidates they can be both 'sexy' and 'successful' in the boardroom.

The Lord Sugar businesswoman, 54, says the show's team 'stepped up' her beauty regime ahead of filming as she admits her days of 'looking good' are numbered.

But she still struggles to avoid criticism from the 76-year-old tycoon, who teases: 'Oh, the scaffolding is down' as she gets her make-up applied.

Baroness Brady credits her flawless complexion on The Apprentice to Mikey Phillips, whose celebrity clients include Love Island stars Olivia Attwood and Liberty Poole, TOWIE's Ferne McCann and This Morning presenters Josie Gibson and Alison Hammond.

And her glamorous look doesn't stop with her makeup, as she's hired A-list hairstylist Mikey Dash to take care of her boardroom blowouts.

Lord Sugar's business aide says show's team 'upped' her beauty regime ahead of filming as she admits her days of 'looking good' are numbered

But she still struggles to avoid criticism from the tycoon who teases: 'Oh, the scaffolding is down' as she gets her make-up applied

Karren said: “They have strengthened the glamor team for me.

“Alan often comes into the dressing room and says, 'Oh, the scaffolding's down,' because they're rebuilding me from the bottom up or the top down, whichever way it works.

'I think, like anyone, man or woman, you feel good when you look good.

'I have a great team. I have two boys; they are both called Mikey, Mikey hair, Mikey make-up as we call them.

“And they're great to work with, and they often say, 'Let's do a red lip, let's do this,' and we say, 'No,' but they do it anyway, so I don't do it much to say to have. They push me to a new level.”

The West Ham United vice-chairman, who becomes a grandmother for the first time this year, reflected on the aging process and admitted she believes her 'good days' are on the decline.

But when asked about the idea that candidates can be both “sexy” and “successful” in the boardroom, Karren says she's keen to continue feeling as good as possible – even if she needs some help along the way.

She added, “Look, what happens as you get older is your good days become fewer and fewer.

The West Ham United vice-chairman, who becomes a grandmother for the first time this year, reflected on the aging process and admitted she believes her 'good days' are on the decline

Karren's influencer daughter Sophia Pescholido is expecting her first baby with the Apprentice star who will become a grandmother for the first time this year

'When you're younger you have quite a lot of good days where you feel like you look good. And as you get older, they become more and more distant.

“But after they're done, they give you good days. So that's good.'

Karren returns as Lord Sugar's sidekick for the 18th series of The Apprentice, which starts next week, alongside season one winner Tim Campbell.

The show will see 18 candidates compete for Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment and the chance to become his business partner.

Tim and Karren act as Lord Sugar's eyes and ears while filming the Apprentice tasks, where contestants are challenged to make big profits and prove themselves as entrepreneurs.

And the businessman, who joined the program in 2022, says he owes Karren a debt of gratitude for calming his nerves during the early days of filming.

He said: “The good thing I've had working with her is how kind and generous she is.

“I remember coming in the first week and thinking, 'This is crazy, what's going on here?' And she says, “Tim, don't worry. We got this.” And immediately we are on the same team.

'I have enormous respect for Karren, but she is not a label, she is not a monolith.

“She allows herself, rightly so, to be anything she wants to be. The great thing about Karren is that she has a relaxed attitude, where, if possible, she just does it. I just love it.'

• The Apprentice returns on Thursday February 1 on BBC One