A recap of series 17 of The Apprentice
Marnie Swindells was crowned the winner!
Last updated 24th Mar 2023
Following a successful comeback in 2022, the BBC confirmed The Apprentice would be returning for a 17th series in early 2023, with the grand final taking place on Thursday 23rd March.
The popular show, which first hit our TV screens back in 2005, saw the return of Lord Alan Sugar and his advisors Baroness Karren Brady, Tim Campbell MBE, and Claude Littner, as they hunted for another successful candidate to win Lord Sugar's ÂŁ250,000 investment into their business.
After 18 hopefuls were whittled down to just one winner, here's everything you need to know about series 17 of the hit show.
When was the final of The Apprentice?
The 2023 final took place on Thursday 23rd March at 9pm.
Who won The Apprentice in 2023?
Following the tense final in March, Marnie Swindells was hired as Lord Sugar's next business partner, winning a ÂŁ250,000 investment.
Speaking about her win, Marnie said: "What an incredible opportunity and moment for a girl like me to get to a place like this and have become Lord Sugar’s business partner.
"It feels strange to even say that, but I’m not going to stop saying it because I am so happy."
Who was in the final of The Apprentice?
After the brutal interview stages during the penultimate episode, which resulted in a number of complaints from viewers, Lord Sugar made the decision to fire Dani Donovan, Megan Hornby and Victoria Goulbourne, meaning Rochelle Anthony and Marnie Swindells made it into the final.
When is The Apprentice on TV?
Series 17 returned to BBC One on 5th January 2023, starting at 9pm.
New episodes aired at 9pm every Thursday for 12 weeks, with the final taking place on Thursday 23rd March.
Who was on The Apprentice this year?
Just days ahead of the new series, 18 brand new candidates were unveiled, featuring a hair salon owner, an accountant, and a sales executive.
Check out the 2023 hopefuls below:
Marnie Swindells - WINNER
From: London
Occupation: Court Advocate
Rochelle Anthony - FINALIST
From: Bedfordshire
Occupation: Owner, Hair Salon & Academy
Megan Hornby - FIRED
From: East Yorkshire
Occupation: Owner, Sweet Shop and Cafe
Victoria Goulbourne - FIRED
From: Merseyside
Occupation: Owner, Online Sweet Business
Dani Donovan - FIRED
From: Hertfordshire
Occupation: Owner, Hair Salon
Simba Rwambiwa - FIRED
From: Birmingham
Occupation: Senior Sales Representative
Avi Sharma - FIRED
From: London
Occupation: City Banker
Bradley Johnson - FIRED
From: North Yorkshire
Occupation: Director, Construction Company
Mark Moseley - FIRED
From: London
Occupation: Owner, Pest Control Company
Sohail Chowdhary - FIRED
From: Southampton
Occupation: Owner, Martial Arts School
Reece Donnelly - QUIT
From: Glasgow
Occupation: Owner, Theatre School
Joe Phillips - FIRED
From: Worcestershire
Occupation: Safari Guide, South Africa
Shazia Hussain - FIRED
From: London
Occupation: Technology Recruiter
Denisha Kaur Bharj - FIRED
From: Leicestershire
Occupation: Financial Controller
Gregory Ebbs - FIRED
From: Shropshire
Occupation: Owner, Online Antiques Marketplace
Shannon Martin - QUIT
From: West Yorkshire
Occupation: Owner, Bridal Boutique
Kevin D’Arcy - FIRED
From: Dublin
Occupation: Accountant
Emma Browne - FIRED
From: County Kildare
Occupation: Senior Account Executive
Who was fired on The Apprentice?
Week One: Emma Browne
Week Two: Kevin D'Arcy
Week Two: Shannon Martin (Quit)
Week Three: Gregory Ebbs
Week Four: Denisha Kaur Bhar
Week Five: Shazia Hussain
Week Six: Reece Donnelly (Quit)
Week Six: Joe Philips
Week Seven: Sohail Chowdhary
Week Eight: Mark Moseley
Week Nine: Bradley Johnson and Avi Sharma
Week Ten: Simba Rwambiwa
Week 11: Dani Donovan, Megan Hornby and Victoria Goulbourne
Week 12: Rochelle Anthony
The Apprentice trailer:
Yes, there is a trailer for The Apprentice, in the video uploaded to YouTube and shared on social media, Lord Sugar can be heard saying: "The world's now open for business, I'm kicking things off with the ultimate task. One of you will be gone before your postcards get back. Let's get down to business."
Back in December 2022, bosses also shared a trailer featuring clips from their overseas tasks, and now the show has shared some more clips.
Taking to their social media, The Apprentice confirmed it would be shown from 5th January at 9pm, preceded by the BBC's other popular business programme, Dragon's Den, making it business Thursdays on the TV channel.
The video, shared by the programme show clips from both The Apprentice and Dragon's Den, with Lord Sugar saying: "I want serious return on my investment..."
What tasks were on The Apprentice?
The 2023 series was bigger and better than usual, with the 18 candidates competing in overseas tasks, as well as in the UK.
The lucky 18 candidates competed against each other to stand out from the crowd, flying over to Antigua for task one, where they are asked to create and sell excursions to tourists.
Week One: Antigua tourism
Week Two: Bao buns
Week Three: Cartoons
Week Four: Brighton discount buying
Week Five: Electric motorbike advertising
Week Six: Dubai corporate hospitality
Week Seven: Children's lunchbox and app
Week Eight: Immersive event
Week Nine: Male beauty
Week Ten: Dog food
Week 11: Interviews
Week 12: The Final
Was Claude on The Apprentice 2023?
Claude Littner returned for two episodes of the 2023 series, after he was forced to miss the show last year following a horror cycling accident in 2021, which resulted in him undergoing nine operations on his leg.
Although Claude was fit enough to return for the interview stage, he was replaced on the 2022 series by series one winner Tim Campbell MBE.
How can I apply to be on The Apprentice?
Unfortunately applications for The Apprentice series 18 are now closed.
All of the TV shows we can't wait for the return of:
You can catch up series 17 of The Apprentice on the BBC iPlayer.
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