The Apprentice viewers 'shook' over 'unprecedented' change to show

Viewers who tuned into the new series of The Apprentice on Thursday night were left feeling "shook" after Lord Alan Sugar introduced a big change just minutes into the episode.

After being introduced to the fresh batch of candidates, all hoping to bag the £250,000 investment and mentorship, Lord Sugar decided to switch up the teams.

While in previous years, the first challenge sees the boys go against the girls, Lord Sugar decided that the two teams would be mixed.

"It's time to get down to business," he told the candidates, before revealing that their first task would take them to Austria, where they'd have to run Alpine tours.

"I'm kicking things off by sending you to Austria. You'll have to set up and run a tour, sell tickets and deliver your guests an unforgettable experience," he explained. "The team that makes the most profit will win, and on the losing team, at least one of you will be fired."

Sharing his decision to mix up the teams, Lord Sugar continued: "I'm going to mix things up from the get-go. Forget girls versus boys. The two back rows, swap with each other."

He then revealed that one team would be running their tour on the glacier under the watchful eye of Karren Brady, while the other team would head to the forest with Tim Campbell.

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It's safe to say the format change took viewers by surprise, with one person writing on social media: "Switching up the teams already? I'm shook," while another penned: "They've mixed the teams, this is unprecedented territory."

A third fan penned: "Oooh mixing it up this time  #TheApprentice," while another welcomed the change, adding: "Mixing the teams up from Week 1 for the first time ever. BRING ON THE DRAMA!"

For those unfamiliar with the show, it sees a group of candidates divided into teams and faced with a series of gruelling, business-themed tasks. The team that makes the most profit wins the challenge, while the losing team has to return to the boardroom, where at least one is fired by Lord Sugar.

At the end of the process, Lord Sugar chooses the winner from the remaining candidates and makes his decision based on the final task and their overall performance throughout the series.

According to the BBC website, two endings are filmed to ensure that the final episode isn't spoiled for viewers and the winner is kept a secret until transmission.

The Apprentice airs on Thursdays on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm.