Lord Alan Sugar said The Apprentice was “back with a big bang” as the candidates jetted off to Antigua for the first episode following the lifting of all Covid-19 restrictions before they filmed the series.
The 17th series of the BBC reality show featured 18 new candidates all competing to win a life-changing investment of £250,000 from Lord Sugar. The candidates were thrown into the deep end as the series kicks off with a trip to the Caribbean, where they will be tasked with creating and selling excursions to tourists.
Lord Sugar told the PA news agency before the series began: “Last year we were restricted by Covid in what we could do and what we couldn’t do because of the health warnings. So this year, we decided… let’s come back with a big bang.
“So I said: ‘Let’s go somewhere great to really kick off well.’ You should see the the candidates’ faces when I said to them: ‘Right your first task you’re going to Antigua’, that’s wonderful. Also for the audience it will be a great kick-off for the process.”
Here are the candidates who battled to win Lord Alan Sugar’s £250,000 business investment. The Apprentice to aired from Thursday January 5 on BBC One and iPlayer.
Additional reporting by PA
9. Joe Phillips
Worcestershire-based Phillips, who studied zoology and became a safari guide in South Africa, said his dyslexia is the “driving force” for him to succeed and prove his capabilities. He added: “It’s made me fight harder to keep up with everyone else. Then when I finally caught up, it wasn’t enough, I needed to go past them to prove to people that, yes, you can have dyslexia but you can still succeed in whatever you want to do.” Photo: Ray Burmiston/BBC
10. Gregory Ebbs
Shropshire-based local councillor Ebbs, who owns an online antiques marketplace and previously worked as a professional cannon-firer, said his willingness to try different things is one of his “biggest strengths”. He said: “I think I’ve got a really clear vision of what I want in the future and that is substantiated from having diverse experience in different fields and my willingness to try things that very few people will do.” Photo: Ray Burmiston/BBC
11. Marnie Swindells
The court advocate from London, who is also a gold medal-winning boxer, said she has fought “tooth and nail” to be where she is today. Speaking of Lord Sugar, she said: “I think that taking the experience I have in the boxing industry and all the experience that he has in the business industry, together we would be a winning combination.” Photo: Ray Burmiston/BBC
12. Emma Browne
Browne, a senior account executive from County Kildare, described herself as a “workaholic” and promised her business idea will be “one of the most successful ideas to ever come out of The Apprentice”. She added: “I am extremely competitive. I won’t let anything get in my way. If I have an opinion and I think it’s going to allow us to win the task, I will be sure to be straightforward with the other candidates.” Photo: Ray Burmiston/BBC