A recap of series 17 of The Apprentice

Marnie Swindells was crowned the winner!

Author: Alex RossPublished 24th Mar 2023
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.

Now read:

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The Apprentice series 17: Winner revealed

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