Just two out of past 10 The Apprentice winners are in business with Lord Sugar

20 January 2024 , 22:37

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Winner Marnie Swindells from the last series of BBC's The Apprentice with Lord Sugar (Image: PA)

If he is sweet enough on their pitch, fans see Lord Alan Sugar hand wannabes on The Apprentice a £250,000 investment and tell them: “You’re my business partner.”

But as the tycoon’s reality TV hit returns to the BBC next month, our research shows he is still in business with just two of the past 10 champions.

They are last year’s winner, boxing gym owner Marnie Swindells, and Dr Leah Totton, who runs cosmetics clinics after taking 2013’s crown.

Marnie said they had a “great relationship”, adding: “He has a sharp sense for businesses he believes will do well and the people he wants to work with. I think once the glitz and glam of The Apprentice has subsided, he gets the true assessment of whether they are people he sees a long-term relationship with.”

Among partnerships that have ended is 2022 winner Harpreet Kaur’s desserts firm, Oh So Yum. Lord Sugar, 76, resigned as a director and his company Amsvest stopped having “significant control” last July.

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Harpreet said: “Myself and Lord Sugar didn’t part on bad terms. We had the opportunity to buy back his shares and felt that was the right thing. The short time I was his partner it benefitted my business in only a positive way.”

Just two out of past 10 The Apprentice winners are in business with Lord Sugar

Harpreet Kaur and Lord Sugar have now parted ways (PA)

He is still in business with Dr Leah Totton (Getty Images)

In August, Amsvest and Lord Sugar – who used the catchphrases “You’re fired” and “You’re hired” before the show prize changed from a job to an investment and partnership – parted ways with 2019 winner Carina Lepore’s artisan bakery business. And he resigned as a director of Sian Marie Fashion Ltd, which was run by 2018 winner Sian Gabbidon, in March 2022. The firm is in liquidation.

Lord Sugar also quit as director of businesses run by joint 2017 winners Sarah Lynn and James White, in 2022 and 2020 respectively.

And in July 2019, he stood down as director of 2016 winner Alana Spencer’s cake firm. Amsvest stopped being a “person with significant control” that September. Alana said in 2019: “I had the amazing opportunity to buy out Lord Sugar and take full control. It was an exciting, crazy, scary few months.”

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In April 2017, Lord Sugar quit as a director and Amsvest stopped being a “person of significant control” at 2015 winner Joseph Valente’s plumbing and air-conditioning venture, now in liquidation. Last year, Mr Valente reportedly said: “I kept in brief contact with [Lord Sugar] but we are not friends, it’s not like we’re best mates.”

And in November 2022, Lord Sugar quit as a director of 2014 champion Mark Wright’s Climb Online digital marketing agency, sold for a reported £10 million.

Mark said: “The Apprentice changed my life, I can’t tell you how grateful I am to the show and Lord Sugar. I looked up to him as a father figure and can say the show works if you take the opportunity with both hands.”

Andrew Bloch, Lord Sugar’s spokesperson, said the tycoon is also still in business with two winners who predate our audit of Companies House records – inventor Tom Pellereau, from 2011, and 2012 recruitment whiz-kid Ricky Martin.

Mr Bloch added: “As part of ongoing reviews of his portfolio, Lord Sugar parted ways with a number of candidates over the last few years and allowed them to take back full control of their businesses.