[WATCH] BBC’s The Apprentice makes Malta debut, and chef David Darmanin earns Lord Sugar’s OK

BBC’s The Apprentice returned yesterday with another crop of 16 candidates hoping to become Lord Sugar’s next business partner, with an unexpected twist: the newcomers for the opening episode travelled to Malta for the favourite “shopping” task. 

The 16 hopefuls were sent to Malta from London for a day-long shopping spree, with the goal of getting their hands on nine specific items for the cheapest prices possible. They were given until 7pm before they were to regroup at Malta International Airport and show their wares. 

“I’m going to send you to the spectacular Mediterranean island of Malta, in Europe... while we’re still welcome.... Valletta is hosting this year’s European Capital of Culture,” Lord Sugar told the candidates. 

The treat for the winners was returning to The Apprentice house for a Maltese feast cooked by Maltese-chef-in-London David Darmanin. 

The winning team enjoy David Darmanin's Maltese feast

“Here’s a little treat waiting for you,” Lord Sugar told the winning team at the end of the episode. “A top chef, David Darmanin, has created a Maltese feast to welcome you to your new home. Consider yourself very, very lucky.” 

These items included Maltese products most famous exports like salt, honey, as well as other items included to confuse the candidates like an ‘octopus’, which both teams presumed meant the sea creature rather than a scuba diving device. 

The two weirdest items on their list however, were the traditional women’s headwear ghonella and a hasira, the traditional blind. 

As a traditional item that went completely out of fashion by the 1970s, the candidates looking for an ghonella had to visit an antiques store or somewhere similar to find one in modern Malta. 

In the episode, that is exactly where the boys find their ghonella, finding it in an antiques store by accident when they were looking for a model boat. However, they actually missed the ghonella the first time they went into the shop, only seeing it when the sub-team called them telling them to go back into the store. 

The girls entered the Apprentice history books for all the wrong reasons when they bought not one but two hasiras. This was taken as a sign that the girls had not communicated properly during the task, which almost led to project manager Jasmine being sent home.