Bognor's Phil Turner's surprising admission before The Apprentice finals

Answering fan questions on social media, the Bognor Regis baker said BBC One producers actually film two versions of the series finale, and air the right one at the end of the series. As a result, neither Phil – who owns Turners Pies in West Sussex – nor rival Rachel know who’s going to win in tonight’s episode.

“The only person who knows is who’s won is Lord Sugar,” he told fans. “So we’re going to find out who’s won pretty much at the same time as you guys.”

Phil made it to the final despite losing every task bar one, earning criticism from viewers both in West Sussex and without. Even so, he seemed to impress Lord Alan Sugar during last week’s interviews, having turned his family’s Bognor Regis pie business into a viable, multi-million pound venture with several branches, in a very competitive market.

And it’s easy to see why, Turner’s Pies is one of the most successful businesses in the county, having won a hattrick of top prizes at this year’s British Pie Awards, and with several products on shop shelves in Harrods.

On BBC One, at 9pm tonight, Phil will face off against fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford for a shot on Alan Sugar’s £250,000 partnership contract. The episode will also be available on BBC IPlayer.