The following is a list of candidates from the British reality television series The Apprentice. The programme began in 2005 and is currently on series seven.
Candidates are listed alphabetically by series; individual candidate information is accessed by clicking on their name below.
Where a date of birth is not provided, the age given is as of the time the relevant series aired.
Raleigh Addington is a 24 year old charity director, originally from Swindon now living in London. He was educated at Prior Park Preparatory School in Cricklade, a co-educational Catholic independent school until year six where he moved to Downside School, a co-educational independent school in Stratton-on-the-Fosse in Somerset, followed by the University of Exeter, where he studied Politics and Economics. He once elicited a donation of £1,000,000 when working in the university's fundraising department. He is the son of a farmer and a nurse and is also a professional tennis coach.[12] It was announced in week two that Mr Addington had decided to leave the show after having been told his older soldier brother was badly injured by a bomb in Afghanistan.[13] Raleigh is currently a director at Tickets for Troops, an organisation helping the armed forces.[14]
Stuart Baggs is a 21-year-old telecoms entrepreneur from the Isle of Man. He was educated at Ramsey Grammar School, a state school in Ramsey on the Isle of Man. He is The Apprentice's youngest ever candidate. His first venture into business came when he started selling yo-yos in the school playground and he later went on to launch his own telecommunications company, Bluewave Communications Ltd providing WiMAX, Wi-Fi Hotspots and other services, at the age of 18.[12] He claimed in the first programme to be "Stuart Baggs - the brand" and nicknamed himself "Herr Baggs" in the crisp-selling task.[15]
Stuart has excelled in producing some memorable quotes throughout the series, including: "Everything I touch turns to sold", "Excuse me Sir, you look like a sausage connoisseur", (quoted to Lord Sugar), "I’m not a one-trick pony, I’m not a 10-trick pony, I have a whole field of ponies – and they’re literally all running towards this job",[16] and the infamous "“I have to rein in my own extreme masculinity in this task."[17] Stuart was fired in week 11.
Before firing him, Lord Sugar told Stuart that he was "..full of shit.."[18] and had been guilty of dressing up his credentials for his own gain, with particular reference to a telecommunications licence (issued 2006 on the Isle of Man). The businessman added that Stuart's claims had annoyed him, as someone such as Liz Locke had had to leave the process because of this.[19] He was not invited back to take part in the final.
Baggs appeared as a contestant on Channel 4's Celebrity Five Go To in May 2011. He also appeared on Celebrity Pointless with fellow ex-Apprentice contestant Joanna Riley in July 2011.
Chris Bates is a 24-year-old investment banker from Surrey. He was educated at Wallington County Grammar School for Boys, a state school in Wallington in the London Borough of Sutton, followed by the University of Nottingham, from which he graduated with 1st Class Honours. After leaving university, he worked for nine months for JP Morgan, a commercial and investment banking institution in London, and left it to appear on the programme. His past jobs have included working in an off-licence and a pub. He was the runner-up in The Apprentice Final 2010, being beaten by Stella English.[20] Lord Sugar said that he was not worried about Chris's future, and said that his doors will always be open for him. In the seven series of the programme, he is so far the only male runner-up (not including Junior Apprentice).
He is now working as an Investment Analyst for former Dragon's Den panellist James Caan's private equity company Hamilton Bradshaw.[21]
Melissa Cohen is a 27-year-old food business manager from London. She was educated at Jewish Free School, a voluntary aided comprehensive school in Kenton in north London. Formerly a hairdresser before venturing into food business management, where she single-handedly increased the share of the Kosher food market for a major retail chain. She also co-wrote a jingle for a successful supermarket advertising campaign for the same chain.[22]
She was fired in the fourth week after taking much of the limelight for her confrontations with other contestants without achieving much in the way of success. She returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Stella English to be in her team
Stella English is a 32-year-old investment banker, Head of Business Management on the trading floor of a Japanese investment bank, despite leaving school with no qualifications.[22][23] She was the series winner, beating Chris Bates in the final mainly because of her experience in business. She was born and grew up in Thamesmead, London.[20] She lives in London with her partner Ray, and she is getting married in the Summer of 2011. Stella proved to be a very successful candidate throughout the series, holding the best record against all other competitors. She showed terrific leadership abilities in the second task, where she was dispatched to the boys' team and led them to victory by stopping their arguing and managing them well. She continued to win most of the tasks throughout the series, but in the run up to the final in tasks 9 and 10 she was accused by her fellow candidates of being "wooden" and " vanilla corporate", but Lord Sugar claimed this was because of her working in a Japanese Bank. Due to her consistent performance throughout the series and serious some would say ruthless determination, Lord Sugar made her a finalist. She showed excellent leadership and organizational skills in the last task, and in the boardroom Lord Sugar made the decision to hire Stella. She commented she was looking forward to the future and she was extremely happy.
After winning, English worked at Sugar's company Viglen.[24] She quit the job in May 2011, saying that she was just a "glorified PA", going to work for YouView, of which Sugar is the chairman.[25] In October 2011, she resigned from YouView claiming she had had almost no contact with Sugar in her role. [26]
Alex Epstein is 26 years old and unemployed from Manchester. Previously the Head of Communications at Masternaut Three X in Leeds.[27] He was educated at The King David High School, a voluntary aided Jewish Orthodox comprehensive school in Crumpsall in Manchester. He was awarded 10 A*s at GCSE, but was sacked from his first job making ice-cream at Haagen Dazs. He later ventured into corporate communications before losing his job, allegedly because of the recession.[12]
In week 1, Alex found himself in the boardroom, selected by project manager Dan for his poor working habits. Alex improved in the second and third weeks - the latter especially, where he secured several clients for the bread-making task. Ultimately, his bad habits resurfaced in week 5, where he guided his, and project manager Paloma's team into multiple retail-related errors. His sales ability was also heavily criticised. In week 6, a mixed performance thus far, Alex found himself as project manager for a marketing campaign for cleaning products. Despite his background in communications, Alex broke fundamental advertising rules, and combined with his Machievellian selection of Sandeesh for firing, despite her excellent performance, was enough to see him fired by Lord Sugar. Lord Sugar implied that Laura Moore might have been fired instead of Alex, had Alex selected her to return to the boardroom. He returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Chris Bates to be in his team.
Christopher Farrell was a 28-year-old mortgage broker from Cheshire. He was a Royal Marine Commando for 10 years, serving in Iraq, Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Afghanistan before becoming a mortgage broker.[12] In September 2009, Farrell admitted to two charges of possessing an offensive weapon after police discovered an extendible baton and knuckle-duster in his car following allegations he had hit his wife with one of the weapons.[28] In January 2011 Farrell was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to four charges of mortgage application fraud by false representation and asking for three other charges to be considered. He had altered payslips and P60 forms of customers, without their knowledge, to increase the chance of their applications for mortgages being accepted so that he would hit his sales targets and receive bonus payments.[29] He was fired from his job at Mortgages4Plymouth as a result.[30] The Sun newspaper reported that Farrell had been sacked from a previous mortgage company in Saltash, Cornwall for misconduct after viewing internet pornography.[31]
He was fired in week 8 - his first time in the boardroom. Lord Sugar stated that he felt Christopher was a hard worker and excellent logistically, but lacking in the special talent that is necessary in 'The Apprentice'. He returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Stella English to be in her team.
Dan Harris is a 34-year-old father-of-two and a sales director from Oxfordshire. He is a former GB triathlete, who has completed three ultramarathons as well as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He once jointly held the world record for the fastest ascent and descent of Mount Kenya. Whilst studying at Southampton Solent University, he launched three businesses including a nightclub promotions company and an embroidery business that reputedly supplied 30% of the branded garments to Southampton University.
After graduation he worked briefly for a head hunting firm in Fareham, before leaving to join a weapons logistics company in Pittsburgh. After being made redundant he returned to the UK to pursue an IT career. Unable to find a role, he worked as a dustman before founding his own company. He successfully ran an IT Security firm for 8 years before selling the company and establishing a Recruitment company. He sold this company two years later but rejoined it as non-executive director.
The News of the World reported that he had made a personal fortune of £2.5M but had lost the majority of that in the recession when his company hit difficulties. Dan was the first to be fired in the sixth series, despite leading the team to profit and losing by just £15, the show's second lowest-ever losing margin. His aggressive style on the task and relaxed attitude in the boardroom were cited as reasons for his firing.[32]
Jamie Lester is a 28-year-old overseas property developer from London. He is the son of a cab driver, and was educated at Ilford Jewish Primary School in Ilford in Essex[33] A former estate agent, he owned two properties by the age of 23 and started his own company at 24, turning over £1,000,000 in two-and-a-half years. He could have been fired in week seven had Sandeesh brought him in the boardroom. Jamie was fired in week 11. He returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Chris Bates to be in his team.
Elizabeth "Liz" Locke is a 24-year-old investment banker from Birmingham. She attended King Edward VI Handsworth School from 1996-2003. After experience in investment banking, she has recently ventured into property development and project management.[22] Locke graduated from Birmingham Business School, part of the University of Birmingham, in 2007 with a first-class honours degree in accounting and finance.[34]
Locke is in a relationship with Irish goalkeeper Wayne Henderson, who played for Preston North End.[35][36] She was controversially fired in Week 10 for not having a special 'spark' despite being a record-breaking candidate. In episode 11, Alan Sugar told Stuart Baggs that he was annoyed with himself for firing Liz after being swayed by Baggs' lies in the boardroom. This makes Liz the second person (the first being Miriam Staley) that Sugar has publicly regretted firing after the event. Liz returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Chris Bates to be in his team.
Laura Moore is a 22-year-old business development manager from Warwickshire, now living in London. She is a trained violinist, and single-handedly brought in over £500,000 of sales in her first year as a management consultant.[22] As project manager in week two, Laura had a hard time controlling her all-girl team, with Karren Brady giving the girls a dressing-down in the boardroom. She appeared in her team's fashion advert in week five and was only brought into the boardroom twice throughout the series. She was fired in week nine, with friend Liz Locke saying that she would be missed.
Before appearing on The Apprentice, Laura had been involved in four start-up businesses, and has since been involved in projects to encourage young entrepreneurs.
Laura is still involved with various start-ups, whilst also working in fashion, representing The Prince's Trust as an ambassador, and doing motivational and corporate speaking engagements. She has recently joined the committee of Businesswoman of the Year.
Joanna Riley is a 25-year-old cleaning company owner from Leicester. She set up her Midlands-based cleaning company at the age of 22. Her first job was as a hotel waitress, later moving into telecommunications at a call centre before becoming her own boss.[22] Before the series aired, it was reported that Riley had been convicted for racially abusing three taxi drivers in October 2005.[30][37] Joanna was fired in week eleven, finishing fourth. She returned in episode 12 to help the finalist with their task, and was selected by Stella English to be in her team.
Before firing her, Lord Sugar told her that he wanted her to be proud of what she does for a living. He fired her, but praised her hard work, telling her to be very proud of herself and she should leave with her head held up high.
Riley appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Pointless with fellow ex-Apprentice contestant Stuart Baggs in July 2011.
Shahab "Shibby" Robati is a 27-year-old business owner, originally from Leeds now living in London. Robati was educated at The Royal Grammar School, a boys' independent school in Guildford in Surrey. His first job was as a paper boy at the age of 17. He since turned his hand to business development. A voice impersonator and self-confessed comedian, Shibby claims to have made £150,000 turnover and over £90,000 profit in the first year of setting up two businesses.[12] Before the series aired, it was reported that Robati had allegedly received a string of complaints while working as a junior doctor for St George's Healthcare NHS Trust leading to a formal final warning from the General Medical Council for "unprofessional behaviour", stating that "he did not always keep accurate medical records, he failed to make himself readily available when on duty and he failed to communicate effectively with his colleagues".[30][37][38] He was fired in week three after leading his team to failure in the breadmaking task. He returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Chris Bates to be in his team.
Sandeesh Samra is a 26-year-old recruitment consultant from Nottingham. She started her working life as a sales assistant for Toys R Us. As a recruitment consultant, she managed to break a company revenue record.[22]
Sandeesh excelled in the opening weeks, especially in the second task, where she questioned Laura Moore's decision to reject a large exclusivity deal. In the subsequent weeks, Sandeesh was perceived as "[hiding] behind manufacturing" by taking low-risk roles. Despite this, Sandeesh continued to improve, and in week six, she was praised for her stellar pitch. In the seventh week, Sandeesh was fired, as her improvement was gradual and not the required level that would be enough to save her over strong candidates Liz Locke and Chris Bates. It was implied that had Sandeesh brought Jamie or Christopher one of the latter two would have been fired in her place.
Joy Stefanicki is a 31-year-old Marketing Director originally from Southampton, and now living in Birmingham. She started her working life cleaning dishes in her parents' pub before joining a supermarket at the age of 16.[22] She was fired by Lord Sugar in Week 2 for having made insufficient effort in the losing team's assignment.
Paloma Vivanco is a 29-year-old senior marketing manager, born a native of Peru, raised in America, Australia and New Zealand, and now living in London. She started working life frying doughnuts in Donut King before launching her first company at the age of 21 straight out of university, eventually moving into the telecommunications industry.
In week one, she demonstrated her ability to work effectively as part of a team, as a manufacturing member. Week three saw Paloma's sales abilities highlighted by Karren. Week five displayed her managerial skills when she was project manager for the task. Her ultimate flaw, which eventually led her to be fired in week five, was her tendency to have an extreme "takes no prisoners"[22] attitude, where she often projected an egotistical image by attacking the backgrounds and abilities of other candidates. She returned in episode 12 to help the finalists with their task, and was selected by Stella English to be in her team.
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