Viewers of the BBC's Celebrity Apprentice Christmas special were left utterly bewildered this week after being subjected to what has been widely dubbed one of the worst television adverts ever made.
The 'Mind-Bogglingly Terrible' Festive Campaign
During the two-part special, which aired on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, the celebrity contestants were tasked with creating and selling festive biscuits for Children in Need. The challenge included producing a 30-second promotional film. The team consisting of Matt Morsia, former Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, and comedian Shazia Mirza delivered a clip that left the boardroom and the nation speechless.
Their advert for 'Gary the Penguin' biscuits featured Shazia Mirza as a Scrooge-like character searching in a shed, only for Thomas Skinner to burst in as the titular penguin, shrieking loudly. The bizarre narrative concluded with the pair on a sleigh, with Scrooge thanking Gary for a great Christmas. The confusing and nonsensical plot was met with immediate disbelief.
Boardroom and Fan Backlash
The reaction from fellow celebrities was swift and brutal. Sarah Hadland declared she was 'in shock', while Angela Scanlon admitted it 'doesn’t really make any sense'. Sarah, who is allergic to white fish, even quipped she would rather eat a fish finger and suffer anaphylaxis than have people watch the advert.
The potential buyers from major firms like Tesco and Amazon, along with host Rylan, were similarly lost for words. Ultimately, Lord Alan Sugar delivered the final verdict, summarising the effort as 'hysterical' and a 'piece of crap'. 'It’s unbelievable. I mean that is diabolical,' he added.
Fans on social media platform X echoed this sentiment. User Roscoe Barnes called it 'abysmal', while SamFarmer agreed: 'That Gary the Penguin advert was awful and embarrassing to watch.' WhoPottervian highlighted Rylan's priceless 'What the heck is that?!' look.
An Unlikely Victory
In a remarkable plot twist, despite the universally panned advert, the team's Gary the Penguin jingle proved more popular, and they managed to sell the most biscuits, beating their rivals 'Jolly McTrouble'. Reflecting on the experience with Metro.co.uk, Angela Scanlon conceded the advert was 'sub-standard' but praised Thomas Skinner as their 'golden goose'.
The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas special is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
