A WIRRAL IT analyst is set to star in the next series of The Apprentice.

21-year-old Alex Finn is just one of 16 candidates who has been selected to battle it out to win a life-changing £250,000 investment for their business and have Lord Sugar as their business partner.

Alex says his 'gift of the gab' is his best skill but admits he can sometimes be too headstrong and that he 'knows everything.'

He says his role models are his grandfather - who invented the Finn Chocolate Coater, a machine to coat chocolate bars and biscuits - and Elon Musk.

This year Lord Sugar will tell the candidates to 'expect the unexpected.'

The business tycoon sends the candidates to Malta straight after the first boardroom, warning them: "Remember, this is NOT a holiday."

While there, they are tasked with buying nine items at the lowest possible prices.

Lord Sugar will also be sending the candidates to Glasgow to sell art, to Birmingham to clinch deals at a Body Building Expo and back to London to launch a budget airline.

The businessman will be one again joined by Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner, who will be his eyes and ears on the tasks.

Comedian Rhod Gilbert resumes his role at the helm of sister show You're Fired, airing each week on BBC2 straight after the main show.

Two special episodes, The Final Five and Why I Fired Them, will also return to reveal the stories behind the series. The Final Five shares the journey of the five strongest candidates, just before they battle it out to secure their place in the final. As the series reaches its climax, Lord Sugar will reveal further insight into his boardroom decisions in Why I Fired Them.

Fans will also be able to keep up to date with Apprentice news on social media, including the programme's new Instagram channel.

The Apprentice will air weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One from October 3, followed by You're Fired at 10pm on BBC Two. Viewers can watch live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer.