Gordon Brown’s present position may be precarious but his future is assured. Television producers have invited him to take part in an Apprentice-style show for aspiring politicians.

The Prime Minister has been approached to act as a judge on the mooted programme, enthusing that he could become “more popular than Alan Sugar”.

The discussions were unwittingly revealed by Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, as she left No 10 yesterday morning.

She was photographed carrying a printout of an e-mail describing details of the show, provisionally titled Junior PM. The idea is being taken fairly seriously, as a note attached to the sheet states: “I think you intend to raise this in the margins of Cabinet.”

The e-mail, sent by Margaret McCabe, a producer, to Andy Bagnall, Ms Blears’s special adviser, claims that the programme would aim for an “ Apprentice meets Maria/Strictly Come Dancing audience”, and go out on BBC One.

“It is a golden opportunity for the PM to gather a youth manifesto and become more popular than Alan Sugar.”

Ms McCabe said that a meeting with the BBC was scheduled to take place later this month.

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