The next season of The Apprentice, in which Lord Alan Sugar is looking for a new partner in business, is just around the corner in 2023.
This time around, the business magnate is accompanied by his loyal advisors Baroness Karren Brady, Tim Campbell MBE, and Claude Littner, who will be making his return to television screens for two episodes after a back ailment forced him to miss the last season of the programme.
The 17th iteration of the popular BBC competition will get underway with the 18 contestants heading off for a task in the sun-kissed environment of Antigua, which is located in significantly warmer climates.
However, before we get started with the series, let’s take a closer look at the aspiring businesspeople who are competing for an investment of £250,000 from Lord Sugar.
Avi Sharma
Occupation: City Banker
Location: London
In order to break free from the monotony of his current banking career, Avi is hoping to secure an investment from Lord Sugar. He says that he is “the hardest working rat he’ll ever meet,” and that description fits him well.
Avi, who is the youngest competitor in this season, claims that he is so confident that he can bring a smile to the face of the most wretched person. The other candidates should be on the lookout for Avi since he claims he can do this.
Bradley Johnson
Occupation: Director, Construction Company
Location: North Yorkshire
Bradley is a successful businessman who built his success on his own initiative and has tremendous pride in his work ethic.
After losing his job in 2019, he is now the director of a company that has a revenue of half a million dollars, which is something he is really pleased of.
Bradley has a business plan that will see him and Lord Sugar turn over seven figures after year three. ‘Who knows where else that could take us,’ he enthuses.
Dani Donovan
Occupation: Owner, Hair Salon
Location: Hertfordshire
Dani is living proof that having a passion for what you do is the most important factor in achieving success in business. She launched her company when she was a teenager and is now making a career doing “something she loves.”
Her biggest weakness? She’s never content with what she’s achieved. ‘Nothing is ever good enough and I always want more.’
Denisha Kaur Bharj
Occupation: Financial Controller
Location: Leicestershire
Denisha wants to build an empire and has set her sights on being in business with Lord Sugar. ‘I want to be mentored by the best to be the best,’ she says.
Describing herself as strong and motivated, Denisha implores she has always known what she wanted in life. ‘I know the dreams I want to achieve. There’s only one Denisha Kaur.’
Emma Browne
Occupation: Senior Account Executive
Location: County Kildare
Emma says that she’s so disgustingly competitive that she will ‘go to any lengths to win this investment’.
She brands herself a ‘workaholic’ and is confident whether she wins the investment from Lord Sugar or not that she will make her company one of the most successful ideas to ever come out of The Apprentice.
Watch this space.
Gregory Ebbs
Occupation: Owner, Online Antiques Marketplace
Location: Shropshire
Local councillor Gregory owns an online antiques business and has previously worked as a professional cannon-firer.
Some people might think, ‘why did you go to Malta to fire cannons when you could be earning so much more in the City of London?’
But Gregory has the perfect answer. ‘I would say, a willingness to try different things and not being afraid to be slightly different is one of my biggest strengths.’
Joseph Phillips
Occupation: Safari Guide, South Africa
Location: Worcestershire
Joseph reckons he has the edge over his Apprentice competitors due to having specialised in being a safari guide in South Africa and having a degree in zoology and animal behaviour.
He states that his biggest weakness is his dyslexia and remembers being in tears when he was first diagnosed.
‘If Lord Sugar wants to invest in a business to help save the ocean, one lip balm at a time, then I’m his guy.’
Kevin D’Arcy
Occupation: Accountant
Location: Dublin
Kevin started his water sports equipment business during lockdown, whilst working in his job in the financial services. He is looking to expand his business into the UK and is set on securing Lord Sugar’s investment.
Kevin has revealed his weakness is being ‘a little outspoken’. Will his mouth get him into trouble in the boardroom?
Mark Moseley
Occupation: Owner, Pest Control Company
Location: London
Mark, a former soldier, has experience working in dangerous and isolated locations all over the world. As a result, he believes that he should be more than capable of managing the boardroom.
Because of his affable and outgoing personality, he believes he can sell to anyone; yet, his overconfidence can be a barrier at times. He thinks he can sell to anyone.
‘I deserve Lord Sugar’s investment because the pest control industry is worth hundreds of millions of pounds a year in the UK,’ he says. ‘Out of all the candidates on paper, I am the one who can grow the business the quickest. If Lord Sugar doesn’t pick me, then he’s missing a trick.’
Marnie Swindells
Occupation: Court Advocate
Location: London
Marnie, a former boxer who won a gold medal and is now an inventive businesswoman, is prepared to compete against the other contenders in the boardroom.
She asserts that she is entitled to Lord Sugar’s money since she has put her entire being into her company and has shed blood, sweat, and tears for it.
‘I have fought tooth and nail to get to where I am today with my business,’ she says. ‘I deserve the chance to have that investment to show him what I can do with it’
Megan Hornby
Occupation: Owner, Sweet Shop & Café
Location: East Yorkshire
Megan’s USP is her honesty and she ensures to always give the truth no matter the situation.
‘I always believe that honesty is the most important thing in business,’ she maintains.
Although Megan admits that she can be overly ambitious, she insists that’s only because she’s so passionate and wants to get stuck in as much as possible.
Reece Donnelly
Occupation: Owner, Theatre School
Location: Glasgow
After starting his first company at the age of 19, Reece is currently the youngest CEO of a further education college in the United Kingdom.
He is already well on his way to reaching the half-million mark.
Reece is the first to admit that he does not pay enough attention to the administrative or accounting tasks he is responsible for, but he is also the first to point out, in a helpful manner, that this means he delegates those tasks elsewhere, which keeps people employed.
Rochelle Anthony
Occupation: Owner, Hair Salon & Academy
Location: Bedfordshire
Rochelle says that she’s always being compared to the Kim Kardashian of the business world because she’s doing business with a hint of glam.
She hates the word ‘no’ and refuses to listen to it, instead turning it into a ‘not yet’.
‘I always learn from my mistakes and turn everything into a positive and use it to fuel my new ventures into the successes they deserve to be,’ Rochelle claims.
Shannon Martin
Occupation: Owner, Bridal Boutique
Location: West Yorkshire
Shannon is hoping to be the first business partner to bring Lord Sugar into the lucrative bridal industry.
She reckons her USP is her million-pound business, that she hopes will fast become a multimillion-pound business in the coming months.
‘I feel that I deserve Lord Sugar’s investment because my business is all based in the UK.’
Shazia Hussain
Occupation: Technology Recruiter
Location: London
Shazia champions a varied representation of diverse women in the world of business.
She’s not signed up to The Apprentice to make friends and is solely focused on winning Lord Sugar’s investment.
As for her USP, she is using her ADHD to her advantage. ‘I can process information faster than others,’ she says. ‘This often means that my reaction time is quicker, and I look at things differently.’
Simba Rwambiwa
Occupation: Senior Sales Representative
Location: Birmingham
Simba is more than ready to challenge the status quo of the business world and is a self-confessed ‘perfectionist’.
‘I deserve Lord Sugar’s business investment because I have a business that not only guarantees profit, but also guarantees to improve the quality of peoples’ lives,’ he says.
Sohail Chowdhary
Occupation: Owner, Martial Arts School
Location: Southampton
Martial Arts Instructor Sohail was raised in a council house and has had to fight to achieve his comfortable lifestyle.
He prides himself on always being the person that looks out for the little guy, even though that sometimes means putting emotions before business.
‘I will make sure that people are looked after, first and foremost, over anything else,’ he stresses.
Victoria Goulbourne
Occupation: Owner, Online Sweet Business
Location: Merseyside
Former flight attendant Victoria started her online sweet business during lockdown, which has since become a social media success.
Victoria believes she knows what people want because she’s travelled all over the world and isn’t afraid to take on a challenge.
‘I identified a gap in the market where there are no pick and mix sweets presented aesthetically,’ she says. ‘My business took off quickly and with Lord Sugar’s investment I know it could fly.’