Candidates for new series of The Apprentice revealed

The 20th series of The Apprentice launches later this month, with 20 new candidates looking to impress Lord Sugar and secure his £250,000 investment.

Supported by his advisers, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell, Lord Sugar will whittle down the candidates across 12 episodes until there is only one winner.

The BBC show will see the candidates undertake a series of tough tasks including creating a children’s book, selling live on television, and hosting a corporate away day on the Red Sea in El Gouna, Egypt.

From a mortgage broker who counts Kim Kardashian as the perfect role model, to a London-based barbershop owner who says he wants to expand to New York, Dubai and Tokyo, here is some information about each of the candidates.

Andrea Cooper

– The 46-year-old grandmother runs two businesses in Barnsley, south Yorkshire.

The lettings agency owner, who has five children and one grandchild, achieved a first class honours midwifery degree at the age of 40, at the same time as running the businesses and looking after her family.

Describing herself as someone who is “hard working, resilient and will give anything a go,” she said that if she is “crossed once then that’s it, no more chances. I am not a pushover”.

Conor Galvin

– The owner of a photobooth business in Cork, Northern Ireland, he wants the company to become a household name and expand to London, Manchester and Birmingham.

He studied medicine at university, but dropped out twice, before graduating in law and business.

He said his business may be fun and light-hearted, but he is a serious candidate who is “constantly learning the tougher side of strategy, structure and scaling”.

Georgina Newton

– An actress and events manager based in east London, said she possesses a “sunshine that brightens up a room and turns any negative situation into
something positive”.

Her business plan is to create a “touring theatrical production company specialising in the magic of pantomime” by converting a lorry into a mobile theatre.

She said she is comfortable with rejection, having “been told ‘no’ thousands of times” in her career so far.

Dan Miller

– The student recruitment owner works with some of the world’s biggest
companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Goldman Sachs after starting the business from his bedroom in Derby at the age of 17.

Now based in Richmond, London, he said he would like Lord Sugar’s help to take his company to the next level after running it on his own for almost 10 years.

He said he always sees the best in people, and his “whole brand and business has been built around community, giving back and opportunity”.

Carrington Saunders

– The owner of an online loungewear business, which she said she grew at the same time as achieving a first class business degree.

She describes herself as a “unique candidate” as her business relies
on social media, and “Lord Sugar hasn’t had a business partner who is enveloped so heavily in social media”.

Saunders, who lives in south east London, said she is “not afraid to speak my mind, stand up for what I believe in and take the lead.”

Harry Clough

– A financial sales manager from Battersea, south London, he said he “may sound posh, but I’ve got no dosh”

His business is a free subscription box, where food and drinks companies pay to be included providing them with the “ultimate marketing tool”.

He described himself as “bold, creative, and not afraid to take risks,” and said he has already “failed more times than I can count”.

Karishma Vijay

– The owner of a beauty brand, from Ashford, Surrey, she said she follows generations of businessmen in her family, but she is the first female.

She said she has come onto the programme to find a business partner, and not as a fan, and has not been a committed viewer before.

She said that she is like Lord Sugar as “we both came from nothing and started from scratch” and she has been supporting her whole family financially since she started earning money.

Lawrence Rosenburg

– A public relations specialist from Watford, Hertfordshire, he said his business plan is to “reinvent public relations for the modern era, delivering smarter, faster, and more transparent PR through intelligent automation”.

He said PR is “one of the only major sectors that hasn’t undergone
a meaningful tech-led transformation”.

He said he likes to treat everyone as a friend, and feels that “authenticity is the best recipe”.

Megan Ruiter

– The owner of a bespoke womenswear clothing brand, which has been worn by a host of famous faces.

While her peers were out partying when she at university, she said she stayed at home teaching herself to sew.

She also owns two other businesses and said she does not “know what a
9-5 job is because my work life is 24/7”.

Levi Hague

– The former RAF gunner from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, has already hit the headlines after he was found to have made racist and sexist posts on social media.

His business specialises in personalised pet cremation urns and he wants it Lord Sugar’s investment to help it become a globally recognised brand.

Also a former HGV driver, he said he said his experiences show that “anyone can turn pain into purpose”.

Roxanne Hamedi

– Building on her expertise as a pharmacist, she has started her own beauty brand specialising in combating hair loss.

With both Persian and Scottish ancestry, she now lives in Aberdeen, and started the business after her own experiences with hair loss.

She said her friends would describe her as a “fiery, sassy chilli-pepper pocket rocket, charismatic, caring, unafraid of risks, and never embarrassed to be my goofy, authentic self”.

Marcus Donkoh

– The south Londoner wants to scale his barber shop into a global grooming
and lifestyle conglomerate.

He said he built he started off by cutting hair in his mum’s home, and aims for his company to have a presence in New York, Dubai and Tokyo.
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He describes himself as a serious businessman, but loves a bit of banter at times. “All work and no play will ruin Marcus’s day,” he added.

Pascha Myhill

– Aged just 21, the recruitment consultant wants to create her own private
healthcare recruitment company.

The keen horse rider, from Reading, Berkshire, said being young gives her an advantage as she is adaptable and ready to do things differently.

She described herself as a “free thinker, not always following the usual rules” and said she often says “the most random things without a filter”.

Kieran McCartney

– An estate agent for 10 years, he said his sales skills make him “stand out”.

He said other people “often describe me as a hungry, motivated, and super positive person who consistently goes above and beyond for his clients”.

The east Londoner is keen to get his hands on Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment so he can establish his own estate agency.

Vanessa Tetteh-Squire

The tech project manager also has her own swimwear brand that is aimed at women with fuller busts.

From Enfield, north London, she said she is committed to pushing boundaries with her brand and empower women who wear her pieces.

She said she is confident that she and Lord Sugar will get along “exceptionally well, because clear communication and bold thinking are what drive success.

Priyesh Bathia

– A global account manager from Harrow, north London, he wants to transform his cocktail business into a national brand.

With visions of seeing his cocktail and mocktail products on supermarket shelfs, he also wants to expand his mobile cocktail bar.

He described himself as the “perfect mix of charm and hustle who’s confident, quick-thinking, and not afraid to get stuck in”.

Rothna Akhtar

– A student wellbeing advisor in east London, she is going on the show as she wants to expand her sideline bakery business.

She said she plans to “revolutionise” the cake and wellness industry by offering interactive baking workshops and bespoke occasion cakes.

She said her “kindness should never be taken for weakness, as I won’t let anything get in my way that limits my potential”.

Rajan Gill

– Currently a pharmaceuticals specialist, he is looking for help with establishing his business which focusses on mounting TVs and building bespoke media walls.
His aim is for newbuild developers to offer his media walls, TV mounting, and
panelling as optional upgrades, just like flooring or kitchen choices.

From Medway in Kent, he said he has spent time working on freezing construction sites, so he is used to “both sides of business: the boardroom and the physical graft”.

Nikki Jetha

– A mortgage broker from Hornchurch, Essex, she said her role model is Kim Kardashian as she is a “powerhouse” as well as being a mum like herself.

She said Kardashian has “redefined what is to be a modern-day businesswoman, proving that you can be glamourous, family orientated and the complete boss all at once. You can have it all.”

She wants to build a business that streamlines the morgage industry and said it has taken her just four years to go from knowing nothing to becoming one of the “top mortgage advisors in the UK”.

Tanmay Hingorani

– The AI product consultant wants to create an AI-powered digital loyalty and marketing  platform that revolutionises how food and drink businesses connect with customers.

The seasoned chess player from Islington, north London, said that, like Lord Sugar, he began his career selling technology and their “skills would complement each other”.

He said he is “emotionally intelligent and intuitive” and able to read
people and situations quickly.

The Apprentice returns to iPlayer and BBC One from January 29.