WELL, it had to come and now – wonderfully – it’s here. The latest series of The Apprentice starts tonight with a new sidekick for Lord Sugar in terrifying Claude Littner.

This top businessman has previously scared the pants off the most cretinous candidates planning to impress in the scary Interview stage in the series’ closing episodes.

Usually, going in front of Claude with their business-plan and the ridiculously boastful resume they first sent in ends in carnage.

Claude, an articulate surgeon, slices through their flabby figures, pointless plans and crazy claims about themselves and their business, leaving little remaining. You can see the most pompous physically deflate on-screen.

Now, he takes the equally acerbic Nick Hewer’s role alongside Karren Brady, and woe betide the latest batch of hopefuls.

They look on the face of it, the usual super-confident, slightly irritating blend of the talented and the useless, all talking the talk and hoping to win. Oh, the fun it will be when Claude gets going with them! Let the games begin.