Dragons' Den star slams rival Apprentice show

'Dragons’ Den' star Theo Paphitis has hit out at rival BBC show 'The Apprentice'.

The Dragon, 48, who is worth an estimated £125m (€158m), dismissed Alan Sugar’s hit business show as another version of 'Big Brother'.

Cypriot-born Paphitis told the Radio Times: “I used to watch The Apprentice, but it’s become Big Brother ...

“They all live in a house together and are given tasks – where do you recognise that? I don’t think it’s challenging any more.

“I like Alan Sugar. I think he’s fabulous. But the whole format and the things that the contestants do ... It’s not a million miles away from what happens in Big Brother, which isn’t the most intellectually stimulating programme,” the former tea boy turned multimillionaire said.

The last series of 'The Apprentice' pulled in more than six million viewers for BBC1.

A record audience of almost nine million tuned into the final, when milkman’s son Lee McQueen walked away with a £100,000 (€126,880)-a-year job with Sir Alan.

McQueen was chosen by Sugar even though he was caught lying on his CV.

The third episode of the current series of inventions series'Dragons’ Den' enjoyed 3.4 million viewers on BBC2.

Last night’s Big Brother highlights show attracted 2.7 million viewers.