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“What a properly great man,” Soutar exclaims. “I met him for sandwiches and tea in the Lords. It was a cross between him telling me very entertaining stories about his upbringing and famous people coming over to say hello. He seems to know everybody in Westminster – like a good person working in the media should.”
What struck him most was Bird’s stamina. “The fact he’s been relentlessly pursuing this cause for more than three decades is extraordinary,” he says. “It’s just so within him. He’s constantly campaigning for the right causes.”
So what would The Apprentice look like with Lord Bird in the boardroom?
“I think it would be a bit more sweary,” Soutar says. “But, like Alan, he’d be impatient and irascible in the right way. He’d expect anybody on a task to give their best. They both share that intolerance of underperformance.”
His definition of good leadership fits neatly into three traits: self-belief, relentless optimism and the capacity for hard work.
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“Self-belief doesn’t have to be arrogance,” he clarifies. “It’s a sense of purpose and vision. Relentless optimism doesn’t mean being naive – it’s believing tomorrow can be better and you can get there. And hard work doesn’t have to be toxic workaholism, but it does mean knowing when you have to step forward.”
The Apprentice turns 20 next year. Would it be better to launch a business in 2006 or in 2026?
“Right now,” he replies immediately. “Give me the money now. We’re living in a time of almost unprecedented change. AI, cyber security, the climate crisis, geopolitical upheaval and new economic models; everything is shifting. People’s working habits have changed completely. Multiple generations in the same workforce have very different expectations of what work is for.”
Times of upheaval, he argues, are the richest soil for new ideas.
“When you have great change, you have great opportunity. I’d run towards the places where new needs are emerging and plug those gaps. Difficult times are often brilliant for new ideas.”
His concern is about employment. “AI replaces the kind of entry-level roles where people used to learn their craft,” Soutar says. “If those starter jobs disappear, where do people train? We have to think seriously about that.”
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This year Soutar became Big Issue’s learning and employment ambassador. “I’ve always found it easier to get out of bed in the morning when the thing I’m working on has a noble purpose,” he says. “There are plenty of businesses that make money without making anything better. I’m not interested in those.”
His enthusiasm for Big Issue Recruit, Big Issue’s employment initiative, is clear. “It’s an extraordinary model. Most employers use recruitment agencies. Big Issue Recruit works with people who’ve faced homelessness, poverty and long-term unemployment. They support candidates before, during and after the hiring process. I don’t know another agency that does that.”
Before we speak, Soutar meets two participants of the programme. “You could see in their eyes how transformative it’s been. And organisations benefit too; people from those backgrounds bring diversity of thought. They shift perspectives. They add insight. It’s an incredible resource.”
His broader motivation is simple: “I want to live in a better country. One in growth, not decline. Because when a country grows, you can deliver on social aims. When it shrinks, the first things cut are the things that help the most vulnerable.”
Christmas this year will be a lively one: three grandsons under the age of five. “That is Christmas,” he says. “I can’t wait. Christmas can be a pause; a moment to think about how you want to face the new year.”
Soutar’s message for Big Issue readers is characteristically forward-looking.
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“A new year doesn’t change the world,” he reflects. “But you can enter it with greater determination. Big Issue readers already know they can make a difference – every copy they buy contributes to a better society. If we keep that collective focus, there’s no reason 2026 can’t be a brilliant year.”
The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on 29 and 30 December.
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