The Apprentice first hit our screens in 2005, which means it’s somehow been 20 years since Tim Campbell – who is now one of Lord Sugar’s advisors on the show – was crowned the winner of series one.
Since then, another 17 candidates have gone on to win the show and bag themselves either a job working for Lord Sugar or an investment into their business.
But what happened to the winners after they emerged from the brutal process victorious? Allow us to tell you, as we’ve done a deep dive into where all of the winners of The Apprentice are now.
Series 18 winner: Rachel Woolford (2024)
Rachel triumphed over fellow finalist Phil Turner after impressing Lord Sugar with her boutique gym business, North Studio. She won a £250,000 investment into the company, which has two venues in Leeds and Harrogate.
Speaking of her working relationship with the business mogul a year after winning the show, Rachel told BBC News, 'We speak monthly, so we have a monthly management accounts meeting. We go through what's going on in the business, where there are problems, where we can improve the problems and what things are going well. I can speak to him generally as much or as little as I like.'
Series 17 winner: Marnie Swindells (2023)
Marnie was a gold medal-winning boxer before she stepped foot in the boardroom and she continued her winning streak when Lord Sugar chose to invest in her boxing gym. She used the £250,000 investment to expand the south London-based gym with a second floor and launch a training programme called Bronx Promotions.
Series 16 winner: Harpreet Kaur (2022)
Lord Sugar chose to invest in Harpreet's dessert chain Oh So Yum, making her the winner of series 16 in 2022. The pair parted ways just a year later, with Harpreet deciding to walk away from the business altogether in 2024. 'I have come to the difficult, but exciting, decision that it is time for something new. Oh So Yum will continue to run as normal, but without me as part of it's next chapter,' she wrote on Instagram.
Last year, Harpreet married fellow Apprentice contestant Akshay Thakrar two years after they met on the show. She now spends her time as a small business coach and a radio presenter.
Series 15 winner: Carina Lepore (2019)
Carina's bakery business Dough Artisan Bakehouse was the winner of Lord Sugar's investment in 2019. After winning the show, she went on to open a second bakery. It was revealed in 2023 that Carina had bought out Lord Sugar's shares, giving her full control of the business, and he had left his role as director of the company.
Series 14 winner: Sian Gabbidon (2018)
Leeds born Sian founded her fashion brand before she appeared on the show. However, she was keen to win the £250,000 investment to develop it further, using part of that money to promote her clothes through social media influencers.
After winning the prize money and working hard on SNME The Label, Sian's business has been successful, with her clothing line being sold in department stores including House of Fraser. She is also the co-founder of digital marketing and e-commerce agency Twenty Twenty Digital.
Series 13 winners: Sarah Lynn AND James White (2017)
Cast your mind back to 2017, when Lord Alan Sugar couldn't make up his mind between the two businesses, so decided to invest in BOTH Sarah and James' business plans. This was the first - and so far, only - time the show had two winners.
With Lord Sugar's investment, Sarah Lynn has gone on to huge success, with her confectionary line Sweets in the City being sold in the likes of Harrods, Selfridges, Waitrose and Picturehouse cinemas. She's also launched a balloon business called Bloon Away.
James launched his company, Right Time Recruitment, and opened offices in London, Birmingham and Chicago. Lord Sugar quit his role as joint shareholder in 2020, leaving James as the sole owner and boss. The company went into liquidation last year with a reported £200,000 debt.
Series 12 winner: Alana Spencer (2016)
Alana started up her company as a teenager and took it to new heights with Lord Sugar’s investment. Ridiculously Rich by Alana was born and the business has only continued to grow since then. Alana's business moved into its first purpose built bakery in her home town of Aberystwyth in 2019 and they've also grown a huge following on TikTok, where Alana often goes live to showcase her bakes.
Series 11 winner: Joseph Valente (2015)
Joseph won against DatePlay dating app owner Vana Koutsomitis and used Lord Sugar’s investment to expand his Peterborough-based gas and heating firm, ImpraGas. He expanded his team of staff and opened more UK offices, before gaining full control over his business following a friendly split from Lord Sugar.
ImpraGas was sold to investment company REL Capital and Joseph has since launched two new business, Trade Mastermind and Millionaire Mastermind. Last year, he claimed he's on track to be the richest Apprentice winner ever.
Series ten winner: Mark Wright (2014)
With Lord Sugar’s investment, Mark has expanded his business, Climb Online, the ‘digital agency with a human touch’. The company turned over £1.7 million in its first year of trading. Mark has also featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 and even won UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018.
Last year, he married his wife Lotta in Australia.
Series nine winner: Leah Totton (2013)
Since winning The Apprentice, Leah's business of skincare clinics has expanded and she now owns three clinics across London and Essex. Dr Leah also has her own skincare range and is a spokesperson for safety and improved regulation in the cosmetic industry, having performed over 40,000 cosmetic treatments.
Outside of work, Dr Leah became a mum to her daughter Lilah, who she shares with professional golfer partner Justin Harding, in 2022.
Series eight winner: Ricky Martin (2012)
A professional wrestler before appearing on the show, Cardiff biochemistry graduate Ricky set up a recruitment company for science and technology roles called Hyper Recruitment Solutions.
It's now a leading name in the industry and runs a podcast which is based around the recruitment industry.
Series seven winner: Tom Pellereau (2011)
Tom, the series seven winner was the first to receive an investment in his business after the format of the show was changed.
His curved nail file, Stylfile was sold in supermarket stores and he has since invented a bowel cancer screening device and a collapsible baby bottle.
He's also recently released a makeup brush cleaning product.
Series six winner: Stella English (2010)
Stella came from humble beginnings, leaving school with no qualifications, but she managed to become head of business management at an investment bank before she came on The Apprentice.
She worked for Viglen, Sugar’s company that sells IT solutions to the education sector, then worked at digital TV service, YouView.
Stella now works as a management consultant and a host on Crowd Box.
Series five winner: Yasmina Siadatan (2009)
Sugar’s fifth apprentice, Yasmina, worked for the business mogul’s medical supply division for a year, before giving birth to her two children, Rupert and Roman.
She fell pregnant after a whirlwind romance with a colleague and didn’t return to her job with Sugar after her maternity leave.
She was soon headhunted by Dragon, James Caan.
She now works as the Start Up Loans creative director.
Series four winner: Lee McQueen (2008)
He wasn’t entirely truthful about his university experiences on his CV, but he still won Sugar over.
Lee stayed at Amstrad for two years, before leaving to set up Raw Talent Academy, a sales recruitment and training company.
Series three winner: Simon Ambrose (2007)
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The series three contestant, Simon worked at Amsprop, Lord Sugar’s property division for three years.
More recently, he has been operating a chain of London bars and restaurants, as well as chairing the London Contemporary Orchestra.
He's since got married and had a son.
Series two winner: Michelle Dewberry (2006)
Michelle’s quiet determination earnt her the nickname, ‘Silent assassin’.
The Apprentice’s second winner worked for Lord Sugar for 11 months on the launch of a computer equipment disposal project, Xenon Green.
These days, she often appears on Sky News and its debate show The Pledge. She has written an autobiography, Anything Is Possible, and also runs a shopping website, Daily Chic.
Series one winner: Tim Campbell (2005)
From Stratford, Tim used to be a London Underground transport manager and after winning the show he was in charge of launching the Integra electronic anti-wrinkle device.
He battled testicular cancer and co-founded a digital marketing agency, Marketing Runners Ltd.
He also founded The Bright Ideas Trust, a charity which helps 16-30 year old entrepreneurs start up a business, and received an MBE in 2012 for Services to Enterprise Culture.
Lord Sugar's right hand man, Claude Littner, recently revealed all the behind-the-scenes secrets from the famous BBC One show.
Reply to a Twitter used who tweeted him asking, "Claude, do the candidates really only have 20 minutes to get ready after the phone call? They all look groomed to the max. Surely that takes longer than 20 minutes. Especially for the girls!"
Claude responded, "Prepare the night before, as they know they are on task the following morning. They don’t know where or when or any clue about the task."