Apprentice viewers were left gobsmacked by a 'show first' in the latest episode of the hit BBC series. The programme made its comeback on Thursday (20 March) with a fresh episode, which challenged the remaining hopefuls to concoct and market their own brand of hot sauce.

The contestants were split into two teams: Mia, Anisa, Emma, Liam, and Jordan formed one group, while Amber-Rose, Deano, Melica, Max, and Chisola comprised the other. Their mission was to impress a panel of industry heavyweights, including the renowned Levi Roots, with their hot sauce creations.

One squad's lacklustre branding and uninspired recipe did little to win over the experts, whereas the other team's advertising efforts faced scrutiny from Lord Sugar himself.

In the boardroom, tensions rose as Lord Sugar expressed his exasperation with both groups as they scrambled to defend their blunders.

Amidst the finger-pointing, Lord Sugar abruptly stopped the bickering with a bombshell declaration, reports .

He called the output from both teams "pathetic", dismissing the products as "garbage" and declared: "This leads me to conclude, there is no winner here. Both teams have lost this task."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the audience at home, prompting speculation among fans whether this was an unprecedented event in Apprentice history. Social media was abuzz with reactions to the dramatic turn of events.

"There's a first #TheApprentice," tweeted one viewer, while another posted: "Both teams lost #TheApprentice," and yet another exclaimed: "Omg plot twistttt #TheApprentice".

Another fan tweeted: "Both teams lost? #TheApprentice," while another was left pondering if this was an unprecedented moment: "Both teams losing, is that an #theapprentice first?"

Following intense scrutiny in the boardroom, Lord Sugar instructed Amber-Rose, Deano, Melica, Mia, Anisa and Emma to remain seated while granting Liam and Jordan a reprieve, saving them from elimination for this round.

In a dramatic conclusion, Melica found herself on the receiving end of Lord Sugar's finger, being labelled "disruptive", which led to her departure. In a double blow, Emma also faced dismissal due to criticisms regarding her minimal contribution to the task at hand.

Upon her exit, Emma expressed her sense of achievement, claiming she was "proud" of how far she had come and that she was leaving with her "head held high". Conversely, Melica did not hide her dismay, revealing her "disappointment" and hinting that Lord Sugar may have missed the mark by eliminating her, stating she believed he was "making a big mistake".

The Apprentice airs on Thursdays on BBC One at 9pm