Lord Sugar has demanded that Bafta recognise him with a special award, claiming that the makers of The Apprentice have refused to let him have a statuette despite the show winning on two occasions.

The business tycoon has been the face of the British show since it began in 2005. However, he complained: “I was the one that brought them the idea. I was the one that brought it to the BBC. And I’m the only one that never got the gong. Unbelievable.

“I went up there and made the acceptance speech and all that stuff, right? And I was told, no, they’re not for me, that’s for the hard-working backroom people… one of whom was an accountant, believe it or not.”

He told Radio Times that his wife felt the snub most keenly. “We go to the ceremony, it wins, and she goes, ‘Where’s your award?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t get one.’”