The Apprentice cast: meet the Yorkshire candidates battling to win £250,000 from Lord Sugar
The Apprentice will feature a former RAF gunner and a letting agency owner from Yorkshire! 💰📺
A pair of Yorkshire entrepreneurs are looking to win a £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar in the latest season of The Apprentice.
The long-running reality series is returning for a landmark 20th series on the BBC this week. Among the candidates vying to win the eyewatering prize are two hopefuls from just around the corner.
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Back alongside his formidable advisors Baroness Karren Brady CBE and Tim Campbell MBE, Lord Sugar will whittle down the 20 candidates across 12 episodes in a bid to choose the candidate that will receive his life-changing investment. It is set to include a jaw-dropping trip to Hong Kong.
Meet the Yorkshire candidates on The Apprentice this year
The BBC show is set to kick-off its 20th series in just a matter of days. Following the end of the Traitors last week, The Apprentice will begin again on Thursday (January 29).
Twenty fresh hopefuls will be entering the process, looking to win a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar. It includes a former RAF gunner from Doncaster and the owner of a letting agency in Barnsley.
Andrea Cooper, 46, Barnsley
No stranger to the property game, lettings owner Andrea is hoping she can secure an investment from Lord Sugar to develop a software system which manages short-term accommodation. Can Andrea turn short-term stays into a long-term win?
Talking about the show, Andrea said: “I run a property lettings business and I want to build on that. My business plan is to develop a software system to manage short term accommodation, making it simpler for both landlords and tenants.
“I’m looking for Lord Sugar’s investment to help achieve my goals and get this idea off the ground.”
She continued: “I am 46, mother of five, grandmother of one and manage and run effectively two businesses in Barnsley.
“I successfully achieved a midwifery first class honours degree when I was 40, whilst juggling two businesses and running a family. I am hard working, resilient and will give anything a go.”
Andrea added: “Lord Sugar is interested in property businesses like me and I feel he will be interested in a business where there is a gap in the market.
“My proven track record can evidence that I am willing to put my whole into something that will work, and he will not regret taking me on as I am honest, a realist and will say it how it is. No beating around the bush! I have years of life experience behind me which most other candidates lack.”
Levi Hague, 32, Doncaster
Former RAF Gunner and current HGV driver Levi knows what hard work looks like and is looking to leave a lasting impression on Lord Sugar with personalised pet cremation urns. Is Levi going round in circles, or do all roads lead to Lord Sugar?
Talking about entering The Apprentice, he said: “My business, Living Forever Memories Ltd, specialises in personalised pet cremation urns, offering custom- engraved designs. Each urn is crafted with care to help families honour their pets in a truly meaningful way.
“I plan to scale production, expand into the pet cremation service sector, and establish Living Forever Memories as a globally recognised brand within the cremation industry.”
He continued: “People say I’m a man who’s lived a thousand lives, from a tough upbringing to serving in the RAF and now building a business that started from my spare room into a nationally recognised brand.
“I’ve been told I’d never make it in life, but every challenge and every doubt has only driven me to prove people wrong. Those experiences have built resilience, discipline, and compassion, qualities that define both me and my business. I’m not just in this to succeed - I’m in this to show that anyone can turn pain into purpose.”
Levi added: “This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity hasn’t just arisen for me, but for Lord Sugar too. Living Forever Memories is built on compassion and innovation, operating in a niche with huge potential that no one else has tapped into.
“My business has already proven demand across the UK and internationally, and by partnering with Lord Sugar, we can take it to the next level. Together, we can build something extraordinary - a business that helps families heal, creates a global legacy, and becomes one of The Apprentice’s greatest success stories.”
When does The Apprentice start and how to watch?
Once again, The Apprentice is set to start just before the end of January. It comes following the end of The Traitors last week.
The show is set to return on Thursday (January 29) and will air weekly on BBC One. Viewers can watch the first episode from 9pm and it is also set to be available on iPlayer as well.