A SOUTHAMPTON tree surgeon is among the 16 candidates to face Lord Alan Sugar across the boardroom.

Thomas Bunday, who owns Climbers Way Tree Care in Marchwood, is due to join eight women and seven men from a wide variety of business backgrounds on BBC One’s The Apprentice.

They will be competing to win a life-changing £250,000 investment for their business, and the chance to have Lord Sugar as their business partner.

Tom owns an arboriculture company which operates cross the south of England.

His team cover a large area including Southampton, Winchester, Salisbury and the New Forest, removing, pruning and planting trees.

Before starting his own company, Thomas went to college and received a National Diploma in Arboriculture.

After completing college, he travelled to Scandinavia where he spent time in Sweden and Norway to gain an understanding of the industry and work alongside people in the business.

On returning to the UK, Tom contested the Tree Climbing European Championships twice before setting up his own practice in Hampshire.

During this year’s series, Lord Sugar ups the ante from the start of the series and tells the candidates to “expect the unexpected”.

The business tycoon sends the candidates to Malta straight after the first boardroom, warning them: “Remember, this is NOT a holiday.”

Lord Sugar will also be sending the candidates to Glasgow to sell art, to Birmingham to clinch deals at a Body Building Expo and back to London to launch a budget airline.

The businessman will be joined once again by aides Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner, who will be his eyes and ears on the tasks.

Comedian Rhod Gilbert resumes his role at You’re Fired, airing each week on BBC2 straight after the main show.

Two special episodes, The Final Five and Why I Fired Them, will also return to reveal the stories behind the series.

The Final Five shares the journey of the five strongest candidates, just before they battle it out to secure their place in the final.

Fans will also be able to keep up to date with Apprentice news on social media, including the programme’s new Instagram channel.

The Apprentice will air weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One from October 3.