Sir Alan Sugar, the star of the UK version of the hit TV show “The Apprentice,” has been hired as enterprise czar by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the BBC reported Friday.
Brown is scrambling to reshuffle his cabinet in an attempt to shore up public confidence in the wake of numerous high-profile resignations from the party.
Sir Alan, who plays Donald Trump’s role in the UK’s version of the program, will be nominated for a seat in the House of Lords in order for him to take the government position, the BBC said.
The multimillionaire businessman is a long-standing supporter of Brown and a member of the Business Council for Britain, the BBC noted. Sir Alan made his fortune through television set-top box maker Amstrad.
Even though Sir Alan is famed for his catchphrase "You're Fired," he told the BBC that Brown should remain as the UK Prime Minister despite calls for him to step down.
"We need to get the economy moving again and, as far as I'm concerned, you couldn't have a better person to do that because of his background as a chancellor,” Sir Alan told the BBC.
In recent weeks, the incumbent Labour Party has seen a flurry of resignations and public confidence in the government has been rocked. .
The Labour Party is expected to perform badly in the upcoming election, which comes on the heels of a scandal over national parliamentary expenses and concerns over the economic downturn.