The Apprentice 2026 candidates: Meet the contestants facing Lord Sugar

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The Apprentice is making a return to screens for a landmark 20th season on the BBC.

To celebrate the show’s return, Lord Alan Sugar will invite 20 hopeful entrepreneurs into his boardroom. They’ll be competing to win his £250,000 investment and make their business dreams a reality.

This season, the competition is fierce! The candidates start with a shopping challenge, then face a series of tasks all over London and further afield. These challenges will really put their skills in branding, sales, and negotiation to the test.

Who are the contestants competing on this year’s The Apprentice? Keep reading to meet the candidates hoping to impress Lord Sugar in the boardroom.

The Apprentice 2026 candidates: Full line-up

  • Andrea Cooper
  • Carrington Saunders
  • Conor Galvin
  • Dan Miller
  • Georgina Newton
  • Harry Clough
  • Karishma Vijay
  • Kieran McCartney
  • Lawrence Rosenberg
  • Levi Hague
  • Marcus Donkoh
  • Megan Ruiter
  • Nikki Jetha
  • Pascha Myhill
  • Priyesh Bathia
  • Rajan Gill
  • Rothna Akhtar
  • Roxanne Hamedi
  • Tanmay Hingorani
  • Vanessa Tetteh-Squire

Scroll on to find out more about each contestant.

Andrea Cooper

Occupation: Owner, Lettings Agency

Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Andrea is seeking investment from Lord Sugar to create a user-friendly software system that helps manage short-term rentals, streamlining the process for both property owners and renters.

Andrea believes Lord Sugar would be drawn to her property business, as he seems to favor companies that fill a unique need in the market.

I consistently deliver results and dedicate myself fully to successful projects. You can count on me to be honest, practical, and straightforward – you won’t regret giving me this opportunity.

Carrington Saunders

Occupation: Owner, online loungewear business

Location: South East London

Carrington aims to grow her successful loungewear business by launching an app and collaborating with another brand, hoping to capitalize on the demand for comfortable clothing.

My business has been running for two years now, and I’m focused on growing it, reaching more customers, and increasing sales.

Conor Galvin

Occupation: Owner, Photobooth business

Location: Cork, Ireland

If Lord Sugar invests in his business, Conor plans to grow his photo booth company by opening locations in London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

Press Print Paper transforms photos into unique keepsakes that tell a story. They create fun, personalized prints – like vintage newspapers, comic book covers, or themed designs – for weddings, birthdays, and corporate events. The goal is to create memorable prints that people will cherish for years to come.

Dan Miller

Occupation: Owner, Student recruitment company

Location: London, Richmond

I recently met Dan, who runs a really successful business helping students get into college. He’s at a point now where he’s looking to really expand and take things to the next level, which is exciting!

Young Professionals is a company that connects students and recent graduates with valuable work experience, apprenticeships, and graduate programs at leading companies.

Georgina Newton

Occupation: Actress and events manager

Location: East London

Georgina is seeking investment from Lord Sugar to create a touring theatre company. She wants to bring beloved fairy tales and pantomimes to audiences across the country.

I was so excited to hear about this project! The plan is to transform a big truck into a complete, working theatre that tours the UK. The goal is to bring a little bit of magic to everyone, wherever they happen to be – whether it’s in a hospital parking lot, a care home, at a private party, or even a festival.

Harry Clough

Occupation: Financial sales manager

Location: Battersea, London

Harry is the owner of Makemyday, a free food and drinks subscription box.

Harry explained his business model: customers sign up and answer a few questions, then receive a free box of selected food and drink products each month. The idea is to let people discover new items and find their favorites.

Karishma Vijay

Occupation: Owner, Beauty brand

Location: Ashford, Surrey

Karishma wants to attract investors to her skincare business with the goal of making it popular worldwide.

Karishma isn’t a longtime fan of the show like some of the other participants, but she doesn’t think that will hold her back. She’s proud to be the first businesswoman in her family.

“I have every intention of winning this by being exactly who I am,” she said.

Kieran McCartney

Occupation: Estate agent

Location: East London

Kieran is a strong negotiator and is entering The Apprentice hoping to secure investment from Lord Sugar.

If everything goes well, Kieran intends to dedicate ten years of hard work and his unique approach to a new business fully representing his brand, demonstrating he’s a valuable investment.

Lawrence Rosenberg

Occupation: Public relations specialist

Location: Watford, Hertfordshire

Lawrence aims to modernize public relations by using smart technology to make PR quicker, more effective, and more open. He wants to achieve this without sacrificing the personal connections that lead to strong relationships with the media.

Levi Hague

Occupation: Former RAF gunner and HGV driver

Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire

I’m really impressed with Levi’s idea – he’s trying to wow Lord Sugar with these beautiful, custom urns for pets who’ve passed away. It’s such a thoughtful and unique business, and I think it could really stand out!

He explained that each urn is carefully made to provide families with a special way to remember their beloved pets. He also shared his plans to increase production, offer pet cremation services, and build Living Forever Memories into a well-known brand in the cremation industry.

Marcus Donkoh

Occupation: Owner, Barber shop

Location: South London

Marcus wants to expand his successful barber shop into a major international brand focused on men’s grooming and lifestyle. His plan involves opening a chain of high-end barber shops that will generate consistent income, be affordable to expand, and build a powerful, recognizable brand.

Megan Ruiter

Occupation: Owner, Online women’s clothing brand

Location: Wirral

Megan runs a women’s clothing brand where customers can personalize designs online to fit their individual tastes.

We’re not like fast fashion brands that offer only one standard size. Our designs can be customized, which lets us reach a broader range of customers because everyone can create something unique to them.

Nikki Jetha

Occupation: Mortgage broker

Location: Hornchurch, Essex

Nikki aims to make a typically complicated process easier to understand by offering straightforward guidance, leveraging her expertise in lending, and regularly sharing helpful information on social media.

She aims to make getting a mortgage less daunting by creating a modern, online service. This service will provide clear, honest advice from experienced professionals, specifically helping people in the UK who are first-time buyers or looking to move home.

Pascha Myhill

Occupation: Recruitment consultant

Location: Reading, Berkshire

Pascha is seeking an investment from Lord Sugar for her healthcare recruitment business.

Her business plan centers around providing skilled and reliable healthcare staff – who understand and follow regulations and offer caring support – to nursing homes, care facilities, supported living arrangements, in-home care services, and nurseries throughout the UK.

Priyesh Bathia

Occupation: Global account manager

Location: Harrow, London

Priyesh wants to grow his small cocktail bar business from a local operation into a well-known brand across the country.

He’s planning to create a line of pre-made cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks for sale in supermarkets, taking inspiration from Asian flavors and the popularity of brands like BuzzBallz.

Rajan Gill

Occupation: Pharmaceutical sales specialist

Location: Medway, Kent

Rajan’s business involves installing TVs and creating custom media walls, primarily for customers who have recently built new homes.

Rothna Akhtar

Occupation: Student wellbeing adviser

Location: East London

Rothna is planning to grow her side business by opening a larger space that will offer custom cakes for special events, hands-on baking classes, and a create-your-own cake experience.

Roxanne Hamedi

Occupation: Pharmacist

Location: Aberdeen, Scotland

Building on her expertise as a pharmacist, Roxanne started her own beauty brand, Browtasia.

Browtasia is a beauty brand I created based on my background as a pharmacist and aesthetics professional. I started it because I personally dealt with losing and thinning brow hair. The brand combines scientific knowledge with natural ingredients to create effective, clean beauty products that help people feel confident.

My favorite product is our nourishing brow palette, which combines a vegan pomade and powder. It’s packed with natural oils like argan, coconut, and grapeseed, plus vitamin E, to help fill in brows and keep them healthy. It’s made in the UK and comes with a special brush for easy application.

This brand aims to offer high-quality products at accessible prices, with plans to sell in major stores across the UK and expand globally. Our core belief is that self-assurance starts with feeling good about yourself at the most basic level.

Tanmay Hingorani

Occupation: AI product consultant

Location: Islington, London

Tanmay is developing a business plan for a new platform that uses artificial intelligence to help restaurants and beverage companies build stronger relationships with their customers through digital loyalty programs and marketing.

Vanessa Tetteh-Squire

Occupation: Tech project manager

Location: Enfield, London

AYORKOH, Vanessa’s swimwear line, designs for women with larger busts. She focuses on creating stylish pieces that are also incredibly supportive, constantly exploring new techniques to achieve both comfort and fashion.

The Apprentice returns on Thursday 29th January at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

As a movie buff, I’m adding ‘The Apprentice’ to my watchlist on the TopMob app – it’s great for getting daily TV recommendations and discovering new features, so I highly recommend downloading it if you’re looking for something to watch!

Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah writes about entertainment for TopMob, covering everything from popular TV shows and reality competitions to impactful documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, where she focused on reality TV and celebrity news. She has a journalism degree.

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2026-01-20 15:38