Lord Sugar rules out leaving BBC if The Apprentice switched channels

Lord Sugar has ruled out leaving the BBC if The Apprentice was sold to another channel.

It follows Love Productions' decision to sell the rights to The Great British Bake Off to Channel 4, a move the businessman described as a "disaster".

The 69-year-old said: "I don't derive my income from TV and I find that the BBC have given me this platform to perform in this programme, which I appreciate, and I would find it absolutely out of the question that if they decided to allow the format to go somewhere else I wouldn't be going with it, that's for sure."

The multimillionaire cast doubt on the Bake Off move, predicting a slump in the ratings.

Lord Sugar said: "I personally think that Channel 4 are going to be disappointed with the value for money that they think they are going to get."

Series 12 of The Apprentice starts on Thursday.