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There's only one winner on The Apprentice and no second prizes.

The 12-week competition sets the candidates through a gruelling series of tasks and the first prize is the job of Sir Alan Sugar's apprentice, with a six figure salary.

The rules are simple. Each week, the candidates are divided into two teams and Sir Alan briefs them on the new task. The team appoints a project manager and this person is responsible for leading the task.

Each task is set to stretch the candidates' creative and business skills, but the bottom line is can the team make that important profit? Sir Alan doesn’t take kindly to candidates making a loss. Throughout the task, Sir Alan’s advisers Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer shadow the teams and report back to Sir Alan in the boardroom.

At the end of the task, the candidates are called to the boardroom to face Sir Alan and his advisers. The figures are tallied up and the team with the biggest profit win and are given a well-deserved celebratory treat. The losing team are sent off to discuss their failings and then it’s back to the boardroom for a grilling from Sir Alan. Finally, the project manager selects two fellow team-mates that he or she feels were responsible for the downfall of the team. The final three face Sir Alan and one of them gets fired.