BBC’s ‘The Apprentice:’ Our 2022 Round-up

Seeing as BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’ IS BACK, here are our favourite stories and videos from some of the brands and entrepreneurs we’ve featured from the show.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER (we don’t do hierarchy here):

Tom Pellereau And STYLPRO:

In 2011, Lord Sugar changed the format of the show, to one where the winner would receive an investment, instead of securing a job. Tom was the first person to win under this new format, and Lord Sugar invested £250000 into his business as a result (which is going stronger than ever). Last year, we covered Tom Pellereau and STYLPRO’s ASOS ‘New Sustainable Innovator’ Award win, and the launch of their brand new GLOW & GO STYLPRO x ASOS Mirror. Nice one.

2. Sian Gabbidon And Sian Marie:

Sian Gabbidon was 2018’s winner of The Apprentice. I was living in Leeds at the time, and I remember feeling quite proud that a Leeds-based entrepreneur had won the show. Also, athleisure and casualwear is “in” at the moment, so it was a no-brainer reaching out to Sian to arrange an interview, around the time that her brand, Sian Marie launched ‘ESSENCE 1.0.’ This was then followed up with her brand’s recent launch into George at ASDA. Congrats, Sian!

3. Sarah Lynn And Sweets In The City:

Sarah Lynn won The Apprentice in 2017 alongside James White, the recruitment consultant. Everyone was shocked, because Lord Sugar had never invested in two candidates before. Sarah was already running her own sweets business, but I think it’s fair to say that Lord Sugar’s investment and expertise has added a little ‘Sugar’ to Sweets In The City. Mmmm. Sweets. Yummy.

4. Camilla Ainsworth And M+LKPLUS:

Camilla Ainsworth was a super-strong finalist alongside Sian Gabbidon in 2018. Although she didn’t win, I knew that she was onto something with her nut milk brand, and I was right. AND THEN, M+LKPLUS launched their brand new ‘Grab And Go’ flavoured oat milk (in an on-trend, recyclable bottle, of course). In my opinion, the writing was (and still is) on the wall: Camilla is onto bigger and better things.

5. Pamela Laird And Moxi Loves:

We’ve done a lot with Pamela. And we’re happy about that. FIRST UP, was a deep dive into how Moxi Loves are game-changing the beauty industry with their ‘Clean And Clever’ approach, followed by a statement that I firmly agree with: “Dreams Have No Deadlines!” Then, there was our video interview with Pamela. Pamela: it’s been a pleasure. Do come back soon! FYI: You may not know this, but Pamela also appeared on Dragons’ Den Ireland… (Shh!).

6. Tim Campbell MBE:

Interviewing Tim was one of my/our highlights of 2021, and with his gracious, inspiring and uplifting personality, it’s no surprise that he became the first ever Apprentice winner. To celebrate him becoming a recent addition to the boardroom alongside Lord Sugar and Karren Brady, here are Tim’s ‘Top Tips On How To Succeed In Life.’ DON’T miss them. And last (but certainly not least), last year, we got the scoop on Tim’s ‘Life-After-Death’ platform launch. Sorted.

7. Iasha Masood:

Iasha was the first person we ever interviewed for GramersiTV. Video was a new venture for me at the time, so it was a grainy old video. I’m glad to say that we have since made huge strides forward in our video quality, but it’s good to watch back, because it just shows you: everyone has to start somewhere, and we started with Iasha. Oh, the good old days. Watch it here.

8. ZARAMIA AVA:

I was living in Leeds when the Leeds-based fashion brand, ZARAMIA AVA popped onto The Apprentice in one of the tasks, so it was a pleasant experience to be able to dig deep into the nostalgia on this one a few years later. We hadn’t written about many fashion brands at the time, so this was a great opportunity for us. ‘Fashion’ has since gone on to become one of the most popular categories on our platform. Thanks, ZARAMIA AVA. We owe you big time.

9. Susan Ma And Tropic Skincare:

And last, but by no means least, let’s talk about Susan Ma. For some odd reason, our The Story Behind Tropic Skincare post was madly popular in India. I have no idea why, but it was. Susan Ma is unquestionably the most successful investee to come out of the show, and she didn’t even win! Susan has shown that “to lose” doesn’t always mean that you’ve lost, and that a little persistence can go a long way.

To Conclude:

Like you, we have missed The Apprentice, and it’s a shame that the pandemic took it away from us for two years. But as with many other great things in life, it’s only when you lose them, that you realise how special they are, and the pandemic has been a stark, daily reminder of this, for many of us across the globe.

The Apprentice is prime-time television. It’s a cornerstone of British television. It’s about family time and entertainment, but most importantly, it’s about supporting small businesses, British businesses, and it’s about spreading those all-important business lessons across the nation, in a fun and entertaining way (that somehow seems to find it’s way into the unconscious).

Tune in here.