If Katie Hopkins has proven anything throughout her career, it’s that you don’t need to win The Apprentice to gain fame and notoriety. But what happened to those who did get hired? With season 17 now kicking off, read on as we look at what Lord Sugar’s bright young things from previous series are up to today...
Tim Campbell will always be remembered as the first business savvy candidate to win The Apprentice. The former London Underground transport manager nabbed himself a £100,000-a-year job at Lord Sugar’s Amstrad company back in 2006, where he became project director of their Health and Beauty Division.
After two years at Amstrad, Tim went on to set up the Bright Ideas Trust, a social enterprise aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds. He was then appointed as then-London Mayor Boris Johnson's training ambassador in 2010, and awarded an MBE for Services to Enterprise Culture in 2012. He also wrote a book called What's Your Bright Idea? In 2015, Tim co-founded the bespoke digital marketing agency Marketing Runners Ltd.
Since then, the busy entrepreneur has become a motivational speaker for large corporations. He returned to The Apprentice last year – on the other side of the table. With Lord Sugar's assistant Claude Littner unable to join series 16 due to a leg injury, Tim replaced him. Both Claude and Tim are set to return to the show this year.
In true entrepreneurial fashion, Michelle ditched Xenon Green after a nine-month stint and went on to found her own consultancy, Michelle Dewberry Ltd. She published her first autobiography, Anything Is Possible, in 2007. Dewberry stood in the 2017 General Election as an independent pro-Brexit candidate for Hull West and Hessle, where she grew up, and stood again for the Brexit Party two years later. Although her bid for Westminster was unsuccessful, today Dewberry can still be found discussing politics and current affairs as the presenter of GB News' talk show Dewbs & Co.
It was no real surprise when Simon Ambrose won series three of The Apprentice. The Cambridge graduate, who attended school with the likes of Nick Clegg and became a member of Mensa at the age of 13, comes from a long line of successful businessmen.
After winning the show, the property enthusiast went on to work for Amsprop, a property development company run by Lord Sugar. In common with many winners of The Apprentice, Simon left the company after a three-year stint and now runs the Hoxton Basement and Victorian Vaults events spaces in London. In 2015, he became the chairman of the London Contemporary Orchestra.
After two successful years at Amscreen, Lee went on to establish a digital media business with Lord Sugar’s son, Simon. He currently runs a recruitment agency called Raw Talent Academy. In 2020, he founded the tech start-up Pheonix51. Lee is a massive Tottenham Hotspur fan, and you can catch him on the football podcast Last Word on Spurs, where he regularly guest stars.
After a hard-fought victory on The Apprentice, Yasmina Siadatan landed herself a £100,000-a-year role at Lord Sugar’s Amscreen. However, four months into her contract, Yasmina revealed that she was pregnant after a whirlwind romance with one of her colleagues.
Choosing not to return to work after her maternity leave, Yasmina was eventually headhunted by former Dragons' Den investor James Caan and worked as creative director at government-backed business finance company Start Up Loans. She is currently a director at financial technology company Dynamic Planner.
Ambitious and driven, Stella spent 12 months working for Lord Sugar’s Viglen after successfully winning series six of The Apprentice. However, Stella's time at the company was short-lived after it was revealed that her contract would not be renewed.
Following an unsuccessful lawsuit against Lord Sugar for unfair dismissal, the series six winner faced her fair share of difficulties. After a messy divorce and a battle against the repossession of her home, Stella turned things around and hosted CrowdBox, a TV channel that helps entrepreneurs raise money through crowdfunding. She and snooker player Ali Carter welcomed their first child in 2017.
Former mechanical engineering student Tom Pellereau was the first contestant to win the £250,000 grand prize after the show’s 2011 revamp. The inventor went into business with Lord Sugar, developing a range of S-shaped nail files that were sold at leading supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Asda.
Tom has invented a number of other products, including a collapsable baby bottle and a personal screening device for the early detection of bowel cancer. It appears that Tom’s beauty and healthcare brand Styl is doing well, with new products including light-accelerated teeth whitening. He still works with Lord Sugar today.
Ricky Martin (not to be confused with the Puerto Rican singer) stole the show in series eight. The former professional wrestler used his prize money to set up Hyper Recruitment, an agency that specialises in scientific recruitment. Ricky continues to be praised as a "glowing example" by his mentor and business partner, Lord Sugar.
Dr. Leah Totton, a former A&E doctor, sparked controversy following series nine of The Apprentice when she announced that she would be opening a Botox clinic with her prize money. Her decision left many claiming it would put pressure on women to go under the knife, but that didn’t stop her...
Putting the negative press behind her, Leah has gone on to open three Dr. Leah Cosmetic Skin Clinics in central London, where she offers an array of popular beauty treatments, including skin peels, lip enhancements, and jawline reshaping. One of her clinics even has a secret underground entrance to protect the privacy of her high-profile celebrity clients. And she's definitely had the last laugh, as her business is booming, with turnover reaching £1.6 million a year.
The young entrepreneur continues to run a successful business, with Lord Sugar's help, and his digital marketing agency – which recently celebrated its seventh birthday – now has three UK office locations and a multimillion-pound turnover. In 2017, he was included in the prestigious Forbes '30 under 30' list of the best media and marketing minds. He was also named Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 at the UK Business Awards.
Valente parted ways with Lord Sugar in April 2017. As confident as the day he entered the boardroom, the sharp-suited entrepreneur later took the reins of his company, ImpraGas Limited, which won the award for Number One Boiler Installation Company in the UK at the Energy Efficiency Awards 2019. In early 2020, however, he was forced to sell the business due to complications caused by Brexit. He is currently the CEO of Trade Mastermind, a training provider for trade and construction businesses.
Alana’s baking company has weathered lockdowns and continues to operate today, despite receiving an apparently "misleading" 1-star hygiene rating in August 2021. Ridiculously Rich by Alana has four cafés throughout Wales and also delivers fortnightly subscription boxes, supplies events and franchises to individuals who can grab a slice of the brand to run as their own business. In 2019, Alana bought out Lord Sugar and is now the sole owner and director of the business.
In an unprecedented twist, and an Apprentice first, Lord Sugar decided to invest in both finalists. Unable to choose between them, the business tycoon crowned Sarah Lynn and James White joint winners of series 13.
Confectionery was unfamiliar territory for Lord Sugar, but he was impressed with Sarah and invested in her candy business, Sweets in the City. The first range of sweets launched in June 2019, amazingly just weeks after she gave birth to her second child, and it's currently stocked in Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Selfridges.
James proved himself throughout the series and was rewarded when Lord Sugar invested in his recruitment company, Right Time Recruitment. It wasn't an easy start for his fledgling business, and it was reported that the company lost £30,000 in the first six months. But as the company has expanded, it now has 231 clients. However, the winner did find himself in hot water after it emerged he had lied about his presence during a Wolf of Wall Street-style celebration at his company.
Since her win, Sian has expanded her business, moving from small-scale to mass production. Attracting celebrity fans, including Molly-Mae Hague, the Sian Marie brand is now stocked by ASOS and George @ ASDA, as well as by retailers overseas. The entrepreneur, pictured here modelling one of the brand's slogan T-shirts, reportedly struck a seven-figure deal with ASDA. She cites Coco Chanel as her business inspiration.
In September 2020, the record-setting Apprentice star opened the second Dough Artisan Bakehouse premises in Beckenham. It hasn't all been sweetness and light at the bakery, however. The same month saw police shut down a party that was being held at the venue in breach of coronavirus restrictions.
Former bank manager Harpreet Kaur may have been branded "bossy" by Karren Brady, but this didn't stop her from winning series 16 of The Apprentice. She used Lord Sugar's investment to scale up her dessert parlour business Oh So Yum.
Though it’s still early days, Harpreet’s partnership with Lord Sugar appears to be sweet. Oh So Yum now has three locations in Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds, and has branched out into doorstep delivery and subscription boxes. As for who'll follow in Harpreet's footsteps and become Lord Sugar's next business partner, you'll have to watch to find out...
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