Who is Apprentice creator Mark Burnett? The man who has the potential to destroy Donald Trump

One award-winning producer said she was asked to sign an agreement that the footage would not be leaked, on penalty of a $5 million fine. But on Monday night Mr Burnett and MGM Television, the company of which he is president, denied that legal action was threatened.

He also said he was contractually unable to release the footage and played down speculation he was supporting Mr Trump's campaign.

So who is Mr Trump's protector? And is he really protecting him?

Born in London, Mr Burnett is now one of the most powerful figures in reality television. 

But he moved to the US more than 30 years ago, with just $200 in his pocket.

A friend helped him find work, initially as a nanny and housekeeper for a family in Beverly Hills.

He then moved on to selling t-shirts on Venice Beach, having tried out a job in insurance but realising he made more money with t-shirts.

“I had no education and no capital, so a simple solution was to sell T-shirts on the beach," he told Forbes magazine, in 2014.

"I didn’t need a store and it was a low cost of entry." 

He did not have the money to reserve a space on the sidewalk in Venice Beach, however, and so was momentarily at a loss.

“I could have given up," he said. "Instead I found another solution and rented ten feet of someone’s fence.”

He bought t-shirts for $2, sold them for $18, and saved his profits.

In 1991 he participated in a French adventure race, the Raid Gauloises, which gave him an idea for a television show.

In 1995 he launched the cable television show Eco Challenge – a four-day adventure race, which was to set the stage for myriad reality television shows.

Eco Challenge evolved into Survivor, and Mr Burnett then founded The Voice, Shark Tank – based on the Japanese show, Dragon’s Den – and a series of religious films and series, including The Bible and Son of God.

“I only do things I love,” said Mr Burnett. “I knew that if I could have a business I was passionate about, I’d have an extraordinary amount of energy that I could put into that business.

"For example, I loved outdoor and adventure sports so I pitched Eco-Challenge and that led to Survivor, and it goes on and on.”

In 2002 Mr Burnett, tiring of the world travel that Survivor demanded, and with two young children at home, went to see Mr Trump at Trump Tower with an idea for a US-based show.

The idea had come to Mr Burnett while filming the finale for Survivor: Marquesas in New York’s Central Park at the Wollman ice rink, which Mr Trump operates.

Mr Burnett, fed up with being stuck in the jungle “with crocodiles and ants and everything that could kill you,” decided his next show had to be in an urban environment.

“What I needed was someone larger than life, very colourful,” he said.

Mr Trump agreed following that first, hour-long meeting.

The two men spent a lot of time together.

"The Donald Trump that I know, that I work with, is the same Donald Trump at home – in his kitchen eating food we've made ourselves out of the fridge," said Mr Burnett, in a November 2010 BBC interview as part of a documentary about the businessman.

"Donald's a billionaire but he's a really down to earth, normal guy.

"And at the end, he's a really loyal friend - and as I've seen him with normal people."

He then added: "Not the kind of enemy you'd want."

Asked why, he replied: "Donald Trump is fearless, and as we've seen on The Apprentice, he always admonishes them for not fighting back.

"Donald Trump is a big, strong, tough guy who would think nothing – if someone metaphorically pushed him, he'd push back five times as hard. Not twice as hard, but five, 10 times as hard."

Mr Burnett has refused to discuss the footage from the show.

Buzzfeed cited a source as saying Mr Burnett backed Mr Trump's bid for the White House – but his political views are unclear.

Earlier this year he was rumoured to be advising Mr Trump on how to inject as much razzmatazz into the Republican National Convention as possible – rumours his spokesman denied.

He donated the maximum possible amount to Barack Obama in 2008, and in 2013 he gave more than $5,000 to Kentucky Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, for her challenge to Mitch McConnell.

After Mr Obama won the White House, Mr Burnett donated $30,400 to the Democratic National Committee. 

This year he has not donated to either side.

Last year he was asked by The Washington Post if he supported Mr Trump for president.

“I have no idea about the politics," he said. "I have had great fun – great fun – watching it.”