Series One of The Apprentice television programme was broadcast in the UK from 16 February to 11 May in 2005. The format of the UK version was very similar to that of the US original. The format was licensed by RTL Group and the programme produced for the BBC by RTL's Talkback Thames division. It was shown on BBC Two on Wednesday evenings over twelve weekly episodes. The winner was to become an apprentice to Sir Alan Sugar.

Series Two of The Apprentice was a television series which was broadcast on BBC Two between 22 February and 10 May 2006. As in the previous series, Sir Alan Sugar continued as the boss, assigning the teams specifically designed tasks. Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford also returned as Sugar's advisers and observed the teams in action. In addition, a companion discussion program called The Apprentice: You're Fired! was introduced and aired on BBC Three. This series premiered in Australia on 27 August 2008 at 9:30pm on Channel Seven, under the title Sir Alan Sugar: The Apprentice to distinguish it from the US version. Despite heavy promotion of the series during Seven's Olympic coverage, the series only rated 583,000 viewers nationally, which was third for its timeslot. The following week, the series was moved to 10:30pm, and ratings have continued to decrease. The series also airs in Australia on pay TV channel UKTV.

Series Three of The Apprentice was a television series which aired in the UK on BBC One. The series began on 28 March 2007 and finished on 13 June 2007. Sir Alan Sugar reprised his role as the boss with Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford as his advisors. Moving from BBC Two, this series attracted 10,000 applicants and promised "tougher tasks and better people" than before, however Sir Alan believed that the show was morphing into "Big Brother". Sugar also criticised the US version for making the error of "trying to change things just for the sake of it", causing it to backfire. Two 90-minute specials were aired during the series run. The first programme was titled The Apprentice: Beyond the Boardroom and featured information about the personal lives of each of the semi-finalists. The second, The Apprentice: Why I Fired Them, featured Sugar revealing why he chose to remove each candidate from the programme.

Series Four of The Apprentice was a British reality television series. The series began on BBC One on 26 March 2008, and ran for twelve weekly episodes. Auditions and interviews are reported to have taken place during the first two weeks of July 2007 in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol. A record 20,000 applications were received. Sir Alan Sugar reprised his role as the boss, and Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford again served as his advisers. 'Frances', Sir Alan's boardroom 'receptionist', also returned. The show's spin-off, The Apprentice: You're Fired!, was again hosted by Adrian Chiles. Filming of the first episode of The Apprentice: You're Fired! took place on 25 March 2008. TV presenter Jennifer Maguire also participated in this series.

Series Five of The Apprentice was a British reality television series. The series began airing on BBC One on 25 March 2009 and ran for twelve weekly hour-long episodes, as in all previous years. Auditions and interviews took place during July 2008 in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham. There were fifteen participants; one more dropped out prior to the first boardroom briefing. Sir Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford made appearances, as in all previous series. Spin-off show The Apprentice: You're Fired! also returned, airing on BBC Two immediately after the main show.

Series Six of The Apprentice was a British reality television series. The series started on BBC One on 6 October 2010 and ran for twelve weekly hour-long episodes, as in all previous years. Following a web-based application, regional auditions and interviews took place during July 2009 in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham, about 75 candidates were called back for a second round in London and shooting took place in Autumn 2009. There are sixteen participants and the board consists of Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady. The programme formerly featured Margaret Mountford, who stood down from the role in June 2009. However, she made a guest appearance in Week 11 as an Interviewer.

Series Seven of The Apprentice was a British reality television series. The series started on BBC One on 10 May 2011, and ran for 12 hour-long weekly episodes, as in all previous years. However, Episode 1 and 2 were aired the same week, and the final episode four days after the penultimate. There were sixteen participants and the board consists of Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady. The Apprentice: You're Fired! also returned on BBC Two, featuring Dara Ó Briain, who reprises his role of the interviewer of the fired candidate.

Series Eight of The Apprentice was a British reality television series. The series started on BBC One on 21 March 2012, and ran for 12 weeks, with each episode lasting an hour.

Series Nine of The Apprentice is a British reality television series. The series began on BBC One on 7 May 2013. On 8 July 2013, an episode called The Final Five aired, which profiled the remaining five candidates. On 11 July 2013, an episode called Why I Fired Them aired where Lord Sugar explains how the candidates fared and why he fired each candidate.

Over the course of 12 tough tasks, the 16 candidates will be whittled down until just one victor remains. And plenty of sparks are set to fly in the boardroom along the way! Each week the budding entrepreneurs will be divided into two teams - led by designated Project Managers - that lock horns under the watchful eyes of Lord Sugar's advisor Baroness Karren Brady and new aide Claude Littner. After completing each task both teams return to the boardroom to discuss their inspirational or calamitous experiences and discover which side has triumphed. The winners will be rewarded with a luscious treat while the losing team’s Project Manager must select two colleagues to accompany them back into the boardroom. Lord Sugar will then hear their arguments and fire at least one of them from the competition. The eventual winner of The Apprentice Series 15 will be given the opportunity to be Lord Sugar's business partner and receive an investment to the value of £250,000 founded on the basis of their idea.