The Apprentice's Lord Sugar says he can spot which candidates are on the show looking for fame and that "they never become the winners".
The businessman has been fronting the BBC programme since 2005 and said some people go on it "for the wrong reasons". However, he said in an interview with journalist Amol Rajan that he can pick those people out of the crowd.
"You can tell straightaway," he said.
Lord Sugar sat down with Rajan for a wide-ranging interview that aired on BBC Two on Thursday, 20 March.
As they discussed The Apprentice -- where hopefuls compete for a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar as well as his support and backing -- Rajan asked whether some candidates sign up partly to "get some social media fame".
"Absolutely," replied the entrepreneur.
When Rajan questioned whether that was an issue, the TV star said: "I spot them straightaway so that's why they never become the winners. So they are out.
"But they are part and parcel of the entertainment package of the programme."
"I know what they are there for," he went on. "They are there for the wrong reasons.
"You can see them flicking their hair back and all that stuff, doing the lipsticks and all that." "Coming in with their suits," he added, mimicking someone adjusting their tie. "You can tell straightaway."
During the interview, Lord Sugar also shared that he has signed a new three-year deal to stay on The Apprentice. He was already lined up to do the 20th series in 2026 and will now continue past that.
He admitted the programme gets some "terrible reviews", but insisted he wasn't bothered about it. "It's like water off a duck's back," said the 77-year-old. "I am immune to these journalists now."
Rajan also quizzed the star about candidates quitting The Apprentice.
Over the 19 series that have aired so far, several people have pulled out of the process early. In the current series, dentist Dr Jana Denzel resigned, later telling Yahoo that he thought he and Lord Sugar "weren't a good fit".
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Asked why he thought that some people exited the competition, Lord Sugar suggested: "Realise they are going to jump before they are pushed, in some cases."
He also mentioned what he called "the famous one", which was when now media personality Katie Hopkins left the process during the third series in 2007.
"I was about to say, 'Well I'll hire you' and she said, 'Oh actually I don't want to do it', so she left," said the businessman, who went on to hire internet entrepreneur Simon Ambrose that series.
"You were about to hire her were you?" asked Rajan. Lord Sugar replied: "Well, she was good, she was bloody good, she was the best, she was the best of that crew, no question of it."
The Apprentice airs on BBC One on Thursdays.