Lord Alan Sugar has added another business to his ever-expanding portfolio after hiring fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford during series 18 of The Apprentice.
Leeds-based Woolford will receive £250,000 worth of investment in her boutique gym business and enter into a partnership with Lord Sugar.
She becomes the 19th candidate to win the BBC reality programme since it launched in 2005 after two competitors shared the crown in 2017.
– Series 1: Tim Campbell
Businessman Tim Campbell was the winner of the first series, winning a £100,000 job working as the project director of the new health and beauty division of Lord Sugar’s business Amstrad.
In 2022, he stepped in for Claude Littner as Lord Sugar’s right-hand man in the boardroom as the businessman was recovering from a serious electric bike accident.
He also replaced Littner for the majority of the 17th series and continued on for the most recent 18th series.
– Series 2: Michelle Dewberry
Michelle Dewberry won the second series of the show, narrowly beating no-nonsense bookies’ favourite Ruth Badger, who later bagged her own TV series.
Dewberry was applauded by Lord Sugar for holding down three jobs while she was still at school. Nowadays, she is a consultant and regularly appears as a pundit on TV, and is also a presenter on GB News.
In 2017, she announced she was standing for Parliament as an independent candidate in the Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency.
– Series 3: Simon Ambrose
Far-right commentator Katie Hopkins also famously appeared on the show in 2007 during series three, which was ultimately won by Simon Ambrose.
The Cambridge graduate is now a property developer.
– Series 4: Lee McQueen
Lee McQueen won the Apprentice series four in 2008 and went on to work for Lord Sugar’s healthcare company Amscreen.
After this, he set up a recruitment and training company called Raw Talent Academy based in Oxfordshire.
– Series 5: Yasmina Siadatan
Yasmina Siadatan joined Lord Sugar’s Amscreen Healthcare Company after she was crowned the winner of The Apprentice in 2009.
She was later headhunted by James Caan of Dragons’ Den fame to help run his private equity organisation, before becoming chief revenue officer at fintech company Dynamic Planner in Reading.
– Series 6: Stella English
Stella English won series six of the show in 2010 and lost a claim of constructive dismissal against Lord Sugar in 2013.
She went on to work as a management consultant at computer giant HP, before she began hosting Sky’s Crowdbox TV.
– Series 7: Tom Pellereau
Tom Pellereau was the first person to win the show in its new format, which saw people getting a cash investment for a business and not a job.
His specialty in inventing saw him launch a few successful brands, among them the Stylfile nail file.
– Series 8: Ricky Martin
Series eight of the show saw former pro wrestler Ricky Martin crowned the winner.
The biochemist now part-owns his own science and technology recruitment company, Hyper Recruitment Solutions (HRS), which he set up using the investment from Lord Sugar.
– Series 9: Dr Leah Totton
Doctor and qualified cosmetic surgeon Dr Leah Totton opened Dr Leah Cosmetic Skin Clinics after she won The Apprentice series nine in 2013.
The Derry-born entrepreneur is also an advocate for improving standards in the beauty industry.
– Series 10: Mark Wright
Mark Wright clinched the first prize in 2014 with his SEO business idea.
In 2022, he sold his business, digital marketing agency Climb Online, he set up with Lord Sugar, for a reported £10 million.
– Series 11: Joseph Valente
Joseph Valente won the show’s 11th series and used the prize money to invest in his plumbing company ImpraGas.
He is now the chief executive of Trade Mastermind, a training provider for trades and construction businesses.
– Series 12: Alana Spencer
In 2016, Welsh-based cake company owner Alana Spencer secured the investment for her brand Ridiculously Rich.
She later launched her Ambassador & Cakepreneur schemes, helping those who were wishing to start a cake business.
– Series 13: James White and Sarah Lynn
In 2017, for the first time in the show’s history, two people were crowned the winners.
James White, who ran an IT recruitment firm, and Sarah Lynn, who owned a confectionery company, were both given £250,000 by the business tycoon.
– Series 14: Sian Gabbidon
Sian Gabbidon won the show in 2018 when Lord Sugar became a co-owner of her pre-existing swimwear and fashion business.
The Leeds-born entrepreneur Gabbidon launched SNME through Instagram while studying at university.
– Series 15: Carina Lepore
In 2019, the series was won by artisan bakery boss Carina Lepore, who opened a second branch of her Dough Bakehouse business in Beckenham, south London.
The year following, the series was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and in 2022 it returned and was won by Harpreet Kaur.
– Series 16: Harpreet Kaur
West Yorkshire-based Kaur owns a dessert parlour and sweet treat delivery service called Oh So Yum! with her older sister Gurvinder.
She has talked about work tips and tricks on the BBC’s Asian Network.
– Series 17: Marnie Swindells
The 18th winner of the series was gold medal-winning boxer Marnie Swindells who owns a boxing gym.
She has worked with numerous brands and featured in a wide range of adverts including campaigns for Adidas and Sports Direct.
