I’m often sick with jealousy at the great TV programming that British Celebitches get to enjoy on a regular basis. Of course, I’m sure the UK has its share of “crap telly,” just like America, and to comfort my jealousy, I do love American television these days. And our shows have longer seasons, etc. We have Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones (it’s a mostly British cast but it’s still American-produced and written), and on and on. Still, you guys have Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Bletchley Circle (God, I love Bletchley Circle) and some really great miniseries.
Anyway, Duchess Kate and Prince William have a lot of down-time to watch TV. Obviously. Duchess Kate has let it slip in the past that she and William watch Downton Abbey and she’s even admitted to watching The Only Way Is Essex, which is apparently a terrible reality show that makes the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills look prudent and thoughtful. And now Us Weekly says that Will and Kate have another favorite reality show: The Apprentice UK!
Not even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge can resist a little reality TV! Kate Middleton and Prince William are apparently big fans of The Apprentice UK, the British version of the U.S. TV competition starring billionaire Donald Trump. Recently, the Duke had a chance to chat with Apprentice UK businesswoman Karren Brady at Buckingham Palace — an opportunity he used to ask one very important question.
“He asked me when it was coming back on,” Brady told reporters of the 31-year-old royal at an event in March. “I know that he and the Duchess of Cambridge are big fans of the show.”
So-called “First Lady of Football” Brady — a sports executive, television broadcaster, journalist, and author — first appeared as a celebrity contestant on Comic Relief Does the Apprentice back in 2007. She’s now an assistant on the show to Alan Sugar, who is the Trump of the franchise’s BBC version.
Brady and the prince first met in 2012, when he and Middleton, 32, attended an event for The Thirty Club, a private dining club for people in the advertising industry. “They both said how much they loved the show,” Brady said of baby Prince George’s proud parents.
Unfortunately for the Duke and Duchess, the Apprentice UK is not set to return for its 10th installment until this fall, thanks to soccer (or, as they call it overseas, football). The BBC rescheduled its usual spring/summer start to avoid overlap with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in June and July.
Alan Sugar is Lord Sugar, isn’t he? Obviously, I’ve never seen The Apprentice UK, but I’ve chanced upon some episodes of the American version with Donald Trump, and it’s awful. It’s extremely stupid. But maybe that’s just because I think Donald Trump is a terrible, terrible person? Perhaps. Anyway, this is just an FYI: Will and Kate watch crap telly. They watch reality shows like TOWIE and The Apprentice and then they jet off on neverending holidays. You get the idea.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Oh, how common of them, to love reality shows like the rest of us. How darling and down to earth they are.
Truly royals of the people. *eye roll*
They’re just like us!!!1!!1!1!!!1!!! <3! 😀 xxxxxxx
“The Apprentice” is an AWFUL TV product which capitalizes on dehumanising and abusing and shaming people and somewhat this seems to be okay nowadays as long as it is on TV, it seems.
Will and Kate have an appallingly bad taste in TV and apparently don’t mind if the “commoners” are trashed.
(Sigh) They suck. I’m not even in the mood to elaborate. W&K just don’t do it for me.
It’s all been said before HH. I don’t blame you.
As an American living in the UK, you should NEVER be jealous of the TV over here. Sure there’s a few good things here and there, but the huge, vast majority is total trash. Like beyond even American levels of trash. I can’t even turn on the telly without seeing TOWIE, orange people, or disgusting “what is this rash” programming.
American TV is by far better quality on the whole, although obviously both places have good and bad.
Yes, but there’s farm shows and sheepdog trials!! Love the sheepdog trials. And snooker.
If you like British TV try The IT Crowd. total awesomeness.
Inbetweeners was hilarious (another movie in august!)
The Fades was good (though predictable). Fresh Meat, 3 Muskateers, Merlin, all great shows.
BBC rocks.
Toast of London!
The IT Crowd, Inbetweeners and Fresh Meat are all Channel 4, not BBC. Fresh Meat is so brilliant tho, you’re right! Devised by the same guys who did Peep Show, which is also amazing. Misfits is great too! Also, I think a lot of the Channel 4 stuff is available on Hulu (Fresh Meat, Peep Show and Misfits definitely are).
Oh oh, and also My Mad Fat Diary, epic realness!
I saw an ad for Fresh Meat. I thought it was a joke at 1st and meant to be a dark comedy. Now i’m intersted though and it’s on my DVR line up.
Am I wasting my time or is it good?
It’s really, really great. It is a comedy/drama, can be really funny but also sad and thoughtful. It’s a really realistic depiction of University life in the UK… and of that particular late teen/early 20s stage when you think you know it all but you actually know nothing. Watch it! 🙂
Are we both talking about Fresh Meta Whatsyourbeef?
From the preview I gathered it’s zombies with inteligence taking over the living. Is that not right? Seems fairly dark in humor and content.
Oops, sorry for slow reply. No, we’re not talking about the same show. This is fresh meat, the university show – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2058303/. Not sure which show you’re talking about? In the flesh perhaps? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2480514/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Yes, DEFINITELY The IT Crowd. I LOVE that show. Laughed so hard watching it once that I had a stomachache the next day, and I still go back and rewatch old episodes if I’m in need of cheering up!
I’m college i was addicted to the absolutely awful and trashy tv show footballers wives. Oh so much more awful then American trashy series. But I couldn’t turn away.
Im guilty of loving Big Brother when i lived in UK but i found the singing and talent shows really contrived. The Apprentice UK isn’t bad i love Alan Sugar and how he made it from a rough background. My all time favourite though was Come Dine with Me,used to watch the marathons during the weekend, the narrator Dave Lamb is hilarious.
I watch ‘come dine with me’ for the narrator. He is hysterical.
I watch that also. It is all kinds of funny.
The Apprentice UK is awesome! Way different then the American version. The American version is not about business, it is about the ego of Donald Trump, product placement, and giving his kids a job. People are fired based on popularity contests and who refuse to kiss Donald Trump’s butt.
The British version actually talks business, the advisers give great observations, and the challenges are difficult and product placement free (usually, although sometimes the introduction of the tasks take place in famous landmarks). The people who are fired are given solid business related reasons why. The last two seasons of Apprentice UK are about winning an investment from Lord Sugar, not a job. There are past seasons on YouTube also.
Other great British comedy TV shows are definitely Fresh Meat, Peep Show (especially Series 4), Extras, Inbetweeners, and a guilty pleasure is Not Going Out. Keep in mind most British Comedies are only 6-8 episodes a series so easy to catch up on!
How dull!
TOWIE explains Kate’s hair and make up choices. Especially the make up choices. And the tan skin.
Considering William’s going to be Prince of Wales one day, I thought he would be watching “The Valleys” for research (I refuse to call that show a guilty pleasure, I love it!)
Since we’re talking about TV shows we should all be watching the Cosmos! It’s not UK, but it’s awesome. Makes me so happy science is put into a better frame of understanding. 🙂 Yay Science!
Well, I watch Dallas for some reason, so I’m just keeping my mouth closed on this.
Well it appears they don’t watch truly great British telly like Doc Martin, Scott & Bailey, Murder in Paradise, Inspector Morse, Heartbeat, Foyle’s War, The Royal, I can go on and on. One more reason why I’ve lost all respect for them and think it’s time to reinvent the BRF as hard-working, simple people and turn all the friggin’ palaces and mansions and residences into historical sites open to the public. More revenue that way and less public money spent to keep these two lazy sods in champagne and caviar lifestyles.
Now those are the shows I watch, the British mysteries on PBS. And Doc Martin. Oh, and don’t forget Inspector Lewis, DCI Banks, New Tricks. Eh, so they watch TV.