The BBC's flagship business reality show, The Apprentice, is set to return to screens later this month with a brand new cohort of 20 ambitious entrepreneurs. They will all be competing for a life-changing £250,000 investment from the show's iconic star, Lord Alan Sugar.
Returning Favourites and New Challenges
The new series, which launches on BBC One and iPlayer from January 29, will once again see Tim Campbell and Baroness Karren Brady resume their roles as Lord Sugar's trusted advisers. The hopefuls will face a fresh set of business tasks designed to test their commercial mettle. This year's challenges are reported to range from creating a children's book to selling products live on television, and even organising a corporate away day in El Gouna, Egypt.
The diverse line-up includes a wide array of business backgrounds, from a barbershop owner with global ambitions to a mortgage broker who cites Kim Kardashian as her inspiration. However, the announcement of the contestants has not been without its early controversy.
Controversy Clouds Launch
One candidate, Levi Hague, a former RAF gunner and owner of a personalised pet cremation urns business, has already issued a public apology. This came after historical social media posts containing what have been described as 'vile racist and sexist comments' were unearthed ahead of the series launch.
Following criticism, including from a Member of Parliament, Hague stated he was 'ashamed and embarrassed' by the posts, which he said were made over a decade ago. He insisted they 'do not reflect the values he upholds today'.
Meet The 2026 Candidates
The twenty candidates hoping to impress Lord Sugar are a mix of seasoned business owners and dynamic young starters.
Andrea Cooper, a 46-year-old grandmother from Barnsley, runs a lettings agency and holds a first-class midwifery degree. Conor Galvin from Cork aims to expand his photobooth business across the UK, while East London's Georgina Newton dreams of creating a mobile theatre company.
Dan Miller, who started his student recruitment firm from his Derby bedroom at 17, has already worked with corporate giants. Carrington Saunders built a loungewear brand while studying, and financial sales manager Harry Clough is pitching a innovative subscription box idea.
Other notable contestants include beauty brand owners Karishma Vijay and Roxanne Hamedi, PR specialist Lawrence Rosenberg, and fashion designer Megan Ruiter, whose clothes have been worn by celebrities.
The roster is completed by barbershop owner Marcus Donkoh, 21-year-old recruitment consultant Pascha Myhill, and estate agent Kieran McCartney. Also in the mix are tech project manager and swimwear brand owner Vanessa Tetteh-Squire, cocktail business owner Priyesh Bathia, and wellbeing advisor and baker Rothna Akhtar.
Completing the line-up are pharmaceuticals specialist turned media wall entrepreneur Rajan Gill, Kim Kardashian-inspired mortgage broker Nikki Jetha, and AI product consultant Tanmay Hingorani.
With investment dreams on the line and a controversial shadow already cast, the 2026 series of The Apprentice promises high stakes, intense competition, and inevitable boardroom drama.
