My shopping is a pain... but it shows people are innovating, says Brady

APPRENTICE star Karren Brady says she can’t even buy a pint of milk without being approached by would-be entrepreneurs keen to share their business plans.

Lady Brady said while the attention lengthened her chores, it was a welcome indicator people had made the most of the pandemic and used the downtime to innovate.

She said: “The difficulty is, people stop you and say, ‘Can I run this past you, my business idea?’ And I say, ‘Yes, of course’.

“And then they start right back from when they were at school and three hours later you’re still in the supermarket, waiting to get home.

“But I’m amazed about the pandemic. People have been so innovative. People have been furloughed and they haven’t wasted their time – they reskilled, they thought of a business idea, they’ve turned a hobby into a business. I think people made the most of it.”

Thursday saw the long delayed first episode of the latest series, featuring a new adviser, series one winner Tim Campbell.the 16 contestants had to market a cruise holiday business, with mixed results.

Lady Brady, 52, vice chair of West Ham FC, who joined the House of Lords in 2014, said: “I have to say I was close to jumping off the ship because the contestants lurch from one terrible decision to the next.”

Meanwhile, she also said firms should give women time off if needed during menopause.

She said: “My mum said to me ‘in my day we just battled on’ – but just because you can battle on it doesn’t mean you should.when you think about it we are the ones that have to have the babies, the periods, it’s really unfair. My husband will tell you I am a nightmare but I think I’m fine.”

● The Apprentice, BBC One, Thursday, 9pm