I've followed every episode of The Apprentice UK since it first aired in 2005, but this latest series left me unintentionally dozing off.

In January, I was thrilled when The Apprentice kicked off with another set of fresh candidates hoping to become Lord Alan Sugar's business partner for another year.

With his aids Tim Campbell and Baroness Karren Brady on the lookout, the 20 hopefuls were put through their paces as they faced a number of challenges.

Trying to ensure they steered clear of Lord Alan's firing line, the candidates put their best foot forward, but, just as in the series prior, they often encountered an array of problems, some of which were painstakingly avoidable.

But although this series delivered some breathtaking scenes, like the candidates travelling to Hong Kong during episode one and later on to Egypt in episode six, as well as a few humorous moments, the overall premise left me underwhelmed.

A show that once filled me with excitement from start to finish, now had me struggling to keep awake.

It might simply be that my attention span was sharper at fourteen than it is now in my thirties - or perhaps the show itself has started to run out of steam.

Granted, this series did try to deliver something different with producers clearly trying to attract the 16-34 demographic.

But introducing younger candidates, a new podcast spin-off show, and familiar faces like Big Zuu and Zara McDermott still didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Let's be honest, The Apprentice has been struggling for a while now and has been surviving on viewers like me who haven't given up on the show completely.

To stay afloat in the choppy waters of reality television, I think producers need to focus on a few key things.

Over the last few years, the show has increasingly leaned into candidates chosen for entertainment value rather than ability. That creates funny moments-but lowers the quality overall.

A stronger mix of contestants would help. Proven entrepreneurs or high-performers alongside a Shake up the format and power structure

Although they removed the treat for winning teams this year, the structure hasn't changed much in recent years, making it predictable.

Instead, they could introduce mid-season twists or even give Tim and Karen more to do each week instead of taking notes on the hopefuls.

Right now, many tasks feel stuck in the early 2000s, for example, selling random products, and generic branding exercises.

To improve on this, the show could focus on current industries like AI, which is currently dominating.

The Apprentice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.