The Apprentice: 16 candidates revealed ahead of new series
Series 16 begins on Thursday 6th January
After a two-year absence thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, it's fair to say fans of BBC show The Apprentice are hyped at the show's return this week, with Lord Alan Sugar set to return to our screens on Thursday 6th January.
With just days to go ahead of series 16, bosses have now unveiled this year's candidates hoping to become Lord Sugar's latest business recruits.
The 2022 cast, made up of 16 ambitions entrepreneurs, will compete over the next 12 weeks to win a huge £250,000 investment for their business, over the watchful eye of Baroness Karren Brady and former winner Tim Campbell.
Meet this year's candidates on The Apprentice:
Aaron Willis
Age: 38
From: Chorley, Lancashire
Occupation: Flight Operations Instructor
Francesca Kennedy Wallbank
Age: 26
From: Surrey
Occupation: Owner - Sustainability Company
Akeem Bundu-Kamara
Age: 29
From: London
Occupation: Strategy Manager
Amy Anzel
Age: 48
From: London
Occupation: Owner - Beauty Brand
Ashkay Thakrar
Age: 28
From: London
Occupation: Owner, Influencer, Digital Marketing Agency
Brittany Carter
Age: 25
From: Bristol
Occupation: Hotel Front of House Manager
Alex Short
Age: 27
From: Hertford
Occupation: Owner - Commercial Cleaning Company
Harpreet Kaur
Age: 30
From: West Yorkshire
Occupation: Owner - Dessert Parlour
Conor Gilsenan
Age: 28
From: London
Occupation: Sales Executive and Former Professional Rugby Player
Kathryn Louise Burn
Age: 29
From: Swindon
Occupation: Owner - Online Pyjama Store
Harry Mahmood
Age: 35
From: West Midlands
Occupation: Regional Operations Manager
Sophie Wilding
Age: 32
From: Cheltenham
Occupation: Owner - Boutique and Cocktail Bar
Navid Sole
Age: 27
From: London
Occupation: Pharmacist
Shama Amin
Age: 41
From: Bradford
Occupation: Owner - Children's Day Nursery
Nick Showering
Age: 31
From: London
Occupation: Finance Manager
Stephanie Affleck
Age: 28
From: Kent
Occupation: Owner - Children's Online Store
It was back in December when news broke that The Apprentice would be making a return to our screens.
The official social media pages for the popular show released a statement, saying: 'We're heading back to the boardroom this January! @Lord_Sugar 's getting his firing finger ready... The Apprentice / Streaming weekly from 6th January /@BBCiPlayer #TheApprentice’.
It was also revealed last year that Lord Sugar's usual aide Claude Littner won't be appearing on the new series, following a horror electric bike accident, which left him needing time to recover.
Speaking about the horrendous ordeal at the time, Claude said: “I was just pottering along, I must have been doing no more than 10 kilometres an hour on this sort of two-track road.
“The next thing I knew, I was on the left hand side of the street, my bike was in the middle of the road and I didn't know what happened. I suspect I hit a pothole or something like that.
“But, I must have blanked out at the moment of impact, because the next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground."
Former winner Tim Campbell will stand in for Claude on the upcoming new series.
The Apprentice starts this Thursday, 6th January at 9pm on BBC One, followed by You’re Fired on BBC Two. Watch live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer.
Now read:
All of the TV shows we can’t wait to return
The Apprentice is coming back following a two-year break
The best comfort TV boxsets to binge watch right now