The episodes have been recorded about 8 months before but still they get a much build up and excitement.

It's great but you wonder why it works so well, I remember in the early days people didn't believe it was long since recorded and thought it was done on a week to week basis

It's been a while hasn't it. I actually think the BBC does a great job of hiding the winner too! In seven series, I've never read about the correct final two leaking before the very end.

Anyone know HOW they keep it a secret?

It is a mystery to me that so many of the production and contestants know but it is NEVER revealed.

It is quite amazing they can do it, in this media age.

The two finalists are always leaked (if you were to search for them now, I'd bet that you'd find them), but they tend not to be bandied around, nor featured in the media. The papers do well out of the programme, so it wouldn't be in their interests to spoil the ending.

I like how in the You're Fired piece, the contestants can talk about their latest task like they only just finished it recently - unless that programme is also recorded months back too? Not too close to the main programme though because the makeovers we see from time to time show some gap.

The winner can`t be known as the final task only takes place the day before the series ends.

What amazes me that there are never any leaks as to who has been fired, they must have watertight contracts to stop candidates going to the press.

Maybe they use super injunctions

That's not true because I worked somewhere once where they filmed a final task. The series wasn't airing at the time and wouldn't be airing for some months. We all had to sign a confidentiality agreement though.

The reason the winner doesn't get leaked though is that they actually film a reaction of both of them winning.

That's not true. It's filmed when you'd expect it to be, after the other tasks. They record two "you're hired" moments, one for each candidate. The two finalists then go to work for Lord Surallen for 6 months (or however long until the series airs). The week before the final airs, he makes up his mind and tells the production company who edit in the correct "you're hired" moment.

I'm not quite sure how this will change this year where the candidates aren't going to be working for him, but I don't imagine they'll have moved the filming of the last task.


There are always leaks as to who's been fired. If you go seeking out spoilers, you can find them reasonably easily. It's just that you have to seek them out, rather than finding them in the papers, etc.