Sir Alan Sugar and his aides Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell are back in the boardroom for another series of BBC’s Apprentice – and this year’s crop of 18 candidates appear to be the best yet. From a female bodybuilder, to a Harley Street dentist, to a hair transplant consultant, this year’s mix are sure to provide all the laughs, gasps and hopefully enough business acumen needed to impress Lord Sugar – or else face being fired.
Here are this year’s business brains fighting it out for the £250k investment…
Amber-Rose Badrudin, Owner, Convenience Store – Amber was just 22 when she opened her own business and promises there’s never been a business plan like hers before.
Anisa Khan, Owner, Pizza Company – London-based Anisa hopes to prove that she is “a strong business woman with sharp acumen, capable of scaling a business and thriving in any challenge—whether in the kitchen or the boardroom.”
Aoibheann Walsh, Owner, Hair & Beauty Salon – The Irish beauty expert boasts she’s “proud to be recognised as one of the most sought-after artists in Ireland.” She likens herself to Sir Alan as she has achieved success “through hard work and perseverance alone.”
Carlo Brancati, Hair Transplant Consultant – Carlo is an expert in the field of hair loss and has had two hair transplants of his own. He’s also amassed 30 million views and 30k followers on social media and says, “No one works harder than me!”
Chisola Chitambala, Owner, Virtual Assistant Company – Essex girl Chisola claims to be a “natural leader” and thrives in “high-pressure situations.” She has lots of hobbies away from the boardroom including being involved in a netball team and a choir.
Dean Franklin, Owner, Air Conditioning Company – Golf-lover Dean believes he’s “very similar” to Lord Sugar. “I’m just hoping he can show me the ropes and together we can get to the next level,” he says.
Emma Rothwell, Owner, Online Gift Store – Emma’s biggest business success is taking £600 and turning it into a successful and profitable business in Covid lockdown. She vows, “I plan to prove to everyone that you can be successful if you put your mind to it.”
Emma Street, Corporate Project Manager – Gym bunny Emma is ready to take on an emerging market in healthy takeaway coffee. “Lord Sugar and I can disrupt the coffee culture together, one shop at a time,” she says.
Frederick Afrifa, Motivational Speaker & Former Athlete – Once an Italian track star, Frederick has helped thousands with their confidence through motivational speaking, and can’t wait to show off all he’s learned. “As someone who once struggled with the confidence to speak in public, appearing on The Apprentice is the ultimate test to showcase my communication skills,” he says.
Dr. Jana Denzel, Cosmetic Dentist – A son of refugees, Dr Jana has his own Harley Street Cosmetic Practice with Hollywood A-Listers and Grammy award-winning musicians as some of his clients.
Jonny Heaver, Owner, Tutoring Company – Johnny set up a business during his time at university and impressively managed a team of 20 while juggling his own studies. “I have faced setbacks in my life and have channelled them into opportunities,” he admits.
Jordan Dargan, Animation Entrepreneur – The Apprentice superfan is the youngest of the candidates and has dreamt of making it on the show for 15 years. He’s hoping to impress with his 3D animation business.
Keir Shave, Owner, Telemarketing Company – The Leeds lad employs over 40 staff and says one of his biggest challenges in the process is living in The Apprentice house with strangers.
Liam Snellin, Owner, Workwear Brand – Former electrician Liam’s biggest success is landing the award for ‘Best UK construction workwear brand 2023’. He says, “Going in I have nothing to prove, I know what I am capable of and know I have the tools to win.”
Max England, Senior Account Manager and Former Tennis Player – Max is hoping to turn his love for tennis into business success and get Lord Sugar onboard in the Padel market.
Melica Moshiri, Owner, Tech Recruitment Company – Highly-driven Melica claims “Lord Sugar will be making a big mistake if he doesn’t invest in me.”
Mia Collins, Meal Prep Entrepreneur – The competitive bodybuilder says public speaking is a “personal challenge” for her, but loves to pitch.
Nadia Suliaman, Owner, Knightsbridge Salon Chain – In 2020, Welsh Nadia quit her job to start a chain of salons which she says was “the best risk” she ever took – despite the pandemic. She now boasts strong celebrity clientele.
The Apprentice Series 19 premieres 9pm on Thursday 30th January on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.