Season 16 of The Apprentice is well underway now, with each episode gripping the nation as ambitious businessmen and women try and do their best not to get fired.
Since it first aired in 2005, The Apprentice has given us lively arguments, inventions gone wrong, dramatic firings and, of course, winners.
But what are the winners from previous seasons up to now?
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From roaring successes to devastating failures, here is what business has been like for past winners.
Tim Campbell MBE
Fans of the show may recognise Tim from his current role as Lord Sugar’s aide, replacing Claude Littner who injured himself in a cycling accident.
Tim has forged a successful career for himself since winning the first ever series of the show back in 2005, working with Lord Sugar at Amstrad for two years before founding charity The Bright Ideas Trust.
The successful businessman was awarded an MBE for Services to Enterprise Culture in 2012.
Michelle Dewberry
Michelle made it to the end of the competition in 2006, becoming the first female winner of the show.
After just under a year of working for Lord Sugar at Amstrad, Michelle published an autobiography titled ‘Anything is Possible’, and launched her own consultancy.
The Apprentice winner has also dabbled in politics, standing as an independent Pro-Brexit candidate in the 2017 general election in Hull West and Hessle. She then stood again in 2019 for the same constituency, this time as a Brexit Party candidate.
Simon Ambrose
Simon Ambrose won the 2007 competition, and was assigned to a role within Lord Sugar’s property company. Simon was put in charge of designing a hotel and golf course near Stansted Airport.
The son of Optimax businessman Russell Ambrose, it was reported in 2015 that Simon was operating a number of bars and restaurants in the Capital, and serving as chairman of the London Contemporary Orchestra.
Lee McQueen
Entrepreneur Lee McQueen won the fourth series of The Apprentice, and became Lord Sugar’s latest employee after working in the recruitment industry for a decade.
After working for the business magnate, Lee set his own company up, Raw Talent Agency, and has been featured in magazines, newspapers and on television. In June 2011, Lee launched an academy in Bristol.
He is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and makes appearances on YouTube channels related to the team, and sometimes appears as a co-host on Love Sport Radio’s Tottenham Fans Show.
Yasmina Siadatan
After winning in 2009, Yasmina worked for Lord Sugar’s medical supply division - Amscreen Health Care.
Yasmina, who is from Berkshire, now helps run a fintech company called Dynamic Planner in Reading.
Prior to this, Yasmina was employed by Dragon’s Den Dragon James Caan at his private equity firm.
Stella English
Despite leaving school with no qualifications, Stella English was hired by Lord Sugar in the 2010 series of The Apprentice.
But it all turned sour when, after working for Lord Sugar for a year or so, Stella brought a constructive dismissal case against Lord Sugar, claiming she was forced to resign from her £100,000-a-year job.
Stella then moved on to become Chief of Staff at Citi in 2012, a financial services company, before becoming a Management Consultant at computer giant, HP.
Tom Pellereau
Before he won the 2011 edition of The Apprentice, Tom had a long history of inventing things, with his first invention being a dismantling candlestick which he made for his grandmother at the age of ten.
After he won, Tom created the world’s first curved nail file, and is now considered to be a leading mind in the beauty industry.
Tom is the CEO of STYLIDEAS, a beauty product company which Lord Sugar invested £250,000 into.
Ricky Martin
Crowned winner of The Apprentice in 2012, Ricky Martin used the investment given to him by Lord Sugar to found Hyper Recruitment Solutions, which is focused on mid-level and senior appointments for the science and technology industry across the globe.
Ricky, who joined the show as a part-time professional wrestler and entrepreneur, now gives business talks at schools.
Leah Totton
Northern Irish contestant Leah Totton made it to the end of the competition in 2013, and set up a chain of ethical Cosmetic Clinics alongside Lord Sugar, called Dr Leah Clinics.
Prior to her appearance on the show, Leah worked as a model in her late teens, and graduated as a physician from the University of East Anglia in 2011, a couple of years before she won The Apprentice.
With sites in central London and Essex, Dr Leah Clinics apparently turns over £1.6million annually.
Mark Wright
Australian-born Mark Wright worked as a sales manager in digital marketing prior to his appearance on the show in the 2014 series, which he went on to win.
After securing a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar, Mark is now the CEO of digital marketing agency Climb Online, which turned over £1.7million in its first year of trading.
Joseph Valente
After forging his own plumbing business when he was just a teenager, Joseph Valente won The Apprentice in 2015.
Lord Sugar left boiler installation business ImpraGas four years ago, with Joseph selling it on recently after publicly struggling with his mental health.
But now, Joseph is the CEO of Trade Mastermind, a coaching company based in Peterborough which helps sole traders and small businesses grow.
Alana Spencer
Welsh businesswoman Alana Spencer was crowned the winner of The Apprentice in 2016, with Lord Sugar investing £250,000 into her love of chocolate and cakes, birthing her company ‘Ridiculously Rich by Alana’.
Lord Sugar parted ways with Alana’s business three years later, but the Aberystwyth native has gone from strength to strength, with almost 50 franchises taking cakes to events across the UK in 2019.
Ridiculously Rich moved into its first purpose built bakery in Alana’s hometown in late 2019, and the company has become a leading player in the cake market.
Sarah Lynn and James White
Sarah and James made history in the 2017 series of the show, as the first joint victory to grace The Apprentice.
Since winning the show, Sarah has continued running her beloved sweet shop ‘Sweets in the City’, whilst James, who is said to have suffered a £30,000 loss shortly after winning the show five years ago, now seems to be back on track.
Sian Gabbidon
Sian won the 14th series of The Apprentice in 2018, defeating nut milk brand owner Camilla Ainsworth.
Following her victory in the show, Sian and Lord Sugar teamed up to work together in Sian’s swimwear business, following Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment into her business.
‘Sian Marie’, which has since expanded through ASOS, suffered a rough COVID year, and Sian diversified the business and launched a new loungewear collection, which was worn by celebrity fans, including Love Islanders Molly-Mae Hague and Maura Higgins.
Carina Lepore
In 2019, Carina Lepore beat recruitment consultant Scarlett Allen-Horton in the final of the fifteenth series of The Apprentice.
Scoring a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar, Carina is using the money to build an empire of high street bakeries.
In September 2020, the former Marks and Spencer worker opened her second bakery in Beckenham, South East London.
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