A ‘cut-throat’ teen librarian, a ‘pocket-rocket’ baker, a Venezuelan ex-model and a partially-blind para-athlete among the 16 candidates taking part in the new series of The Apprentice.
This year’s line-up of contestants on the BBC One show includes eight women and eight men from a wide variety of business backgrounds, including risk management, beauty, bedding, recruitment and desserts.
They will be competing to win a life-changing £250,000 investment for their business, and the chance to have Lord Sugar as their business partner.
The Apprentice 2019: 1 – Jemelin, 34, network management consultant, 2-Iasha, 27, Account manager, 3-Shahin, 36, Chartered engineer, 4- Ryan-Mark, 19, luxury womenswear consultant, 5- Marianne, 36, risk management consultancy owner, 6 – Kenna, 24, ice cream company owner, 7- Lewis, 28, Digital marketing project manager, 8- Thomas, 28, pillow company owner, 9- Carina, 30, artisan bakery owner, 10 – Pamela, 29, beauty brand owner, 11- Riyonn, 30, events manager, 12 – Lubna, 33, finance manager, 13 – Lottie, 19, librarian, 14, Dean, 20, sports management agency owner, 15- Souleyman, 20, para Athlete and motivational speaker, 16 – Scarlett, 32, recruitment company owner
Lord Sugar will once more be joined by trusted aides Karren Brady and Claude Littner, as the 16 hopefuls look to be crowned this year’s Apprentice.
The hit BBC show is now in its 14th season, having began in 2005 as a groundbreaking show which featured some of the country’s best young business minds hoping to secure a job with the then Sir Alan.
However the programme has slowly turned into a more reality TV-inspired fare, with big personalities gloating irreverently about their skills in business.
This year’s series sees two teenagers among the latest crop of hopefuls, with Lottie Lion and Ryan-Mark Parsons the youngest candidates at age 19.
MEET THE CONTESTANTS: THE GIRLS
Lubna Farhan
Age: 33
Occupation: Finance manager
Lives: Luton
Key information: Lubna, a mother of two, reveals that good role models were lacking in her life so she decided to become her own. She enjoyed studying and focused on educating herself first, which gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams and aspirations. Now, she believes she ‘has the whole package’, book smarts and street smarts, and describes herself as ‘a dark horse’.
She says: ‘I came from a council estate… I have made myself into something good and I’m on my way to becoming something great’
Jemelin Artigas
Age: 34
Occupation: Network marketing consultant
Lives: South East London
Key information: Jemelin considers resilience to be one of her best personal qualities, having come from a humble background in Venezuela. She describes herself as competitive and fearless in business, stating she is ‘1000% committed’ to winning every task. However, she also warns that she can also be ‘next-level stubborn’ and likes things done her way.
She says: ‘I never have problems, I only have solutions.’
Iasha Masood
Age: 27
Occupation: Account manager
Lives: Manchester
Key information: Iasha believes her ‘crazy, controversial, eccentric personality’ will make her stand out, considering herself to be ‘the star that shines the brightest’. She says her ‘natural persona’ will be enough to win the process. Iasha hopes that the other Candidates will underestimate her, she aims to keep her ‘enemies’ close to her; saying ‘I can read people just by looking at their body language, they won’t realise it until it’s too late – and checkmate’.
She says: ‘I’m one fierce businesswoman with both sass and class’
Marianne Rawlins
Age: 36
Occupation: Owner, risk management consultancy
Lives: Stamford, Lincolnshire
Key information: Marianne moved from the US to the UK in 2017 and sees conflict management as one of her strongest skills. She admits that she doesn’t have a filter and may need to ‘dial down her American-ness’ and take a step back, as she says she can be too direct.
She says: ‘I’m definitely the epitome of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ because what you see is not what you get.’
Lottie Lion
Age: 19
Occupation: Librarian
Lives: Somerset
Key information: Lottie says she is ‘very cut throat’ and insists that she is no push over. She believes her poise and her ‘powers of persuasion’ are her greatest business qualities, noting that people with bad manners anger her and that she gets frustrated when things don’t adhere to her high standards.
She says: ‘I bring ‘class’ to everything and ensure nothing I do is half-standard or tacky.’
Scarlett Allen-Horton
Age: 32
Occupation: Owner, recruitment company
Lives: West Midlands
Key information: Throughout her successful career in recruitment, Scarlett has found her upbeat personality to be a strong asset in winning a business deal, claiming that ‘people will often buy into her as a person’. Although she considers herself to be a ‘very good problem solver’ she also admits to struggling to accept help from others, acknowledging she often overestimates her workload. Scarlett plans to apply the same tactic she uses in all aspects of her life; ‘working the hardest and the smartest to be the best’.
She says: ‘I am an achiever. I have been the highest performer across every workplace I have worked within.’
Carina Lepore
Age: 30
Occupation: Owner, artisan bakery
Lives: South London
Key information: Carina says she is a natural leader and that people latch onto her to benefit from the influence she carries. She believes it’s ‘written in the stars’ that she’ll be Lord Sugar’s next Apprentice, warning that the other candidates shouldn’t underestimate her because of her South London accent as she knows how to ‘put on a suit and be the full package’.
She says: ‘I’m about 5 foot 1 inch tall – I’m like a pocket rocket, you don’t really want to mess with me.’
Pamela Laird
Age: 29
Occupation: Owner, beauty brand
Lives: Dublin, Ireland
Key information: Pamela attributes the success of her beauty company to her ‘entrepreneurial gene’. She describes herself as feisty and passionate with a charismatic personality, which enables her to excel in sales. Pamela acknowledges she can be impatient and demanding and often finds it difficult to delegate tasks.
She says: ‘I love to be the under-estimated person in the room.’
Somerset-born Lottie insists that despite her tender years, she is very cut-throat when it comes to business, believing her poise and her ‘powers of persuasion’ are her greatest business qualities.
She says: ‘I bring ‘class’ to everything and ensure nothing I do is half-standard or tacky.’
While luxury womenswear consultant Ryan boasts: ‘I am the epitome of luxury’, claims he is ‘a 60-year-old trapped in a teenager’s body’ and says Queen Elizabeth II is his role model, because of her ‘no-nonsense persona’.
Wow: The group includes a Venezuelan former model Jemelin Artigas, 34, (left) who has previously worked as a World Darts Championship walk-on girl and an artisan bakery owner, Carina Lepore, 30 (right)
cheeky: This year’s series sees two teenagers among the latest crop of hopefuls, with Lottie Lion, 19, describing herself as a ‘cut-throat’ librarian
Glamour: Iasha Masood (left) , 27, who is an account manager and former Dragon’s Den star Pamela Laird, 29 (right) are also appearing on the show
The group includes a Venezuelan former model Jemelin Artigas, 34, who has previously worked as a World Darts Championship walk-on girl.
Jemelin, a network marketing consultant, shares sultry bikini snaps on her social media which boasts 6,353 followers.
The beauty considers resilience to be one of her best personal qualities, having come from a humble background in Venezuela.
Racy: Lottie is no stranger to a sultry social media snap as evidenced on her Instagram
Jetsetter: Jemelin loves to showcase her toned frame in bikinis in tropical locations
Here come the boys: Kenna Ngoma, 24,(left) who is the owner of an alcohol infused ice cream company joins digital marketing project manager Lewis Ellis, 28 (right) on the show
TV apearance: Making Apprentice history is the show’s first disabled contestant, Souleyman Bah, who is a partially blind para-athlete and motivational speaker aged 20. He previously appeared on Channel 4’s The Undateables (above)
She describes herself as competitive and fearless in business, stating she is ‘1000% committed’ to winning every task. However, she also warns that she can also be ‘next-level stubborn’ and likes things done her way.
She says: ‘I never have problems, I only have solutions.’
Making Apprentice history is the show’s first disabled contestant, Souleyman Bah, who is a partially blind para-athlete and motivational speaker.
The sprinter, 20, from south west London trains with the Great Britain Paralympic Olympic Team, specialising in sprinting.
Who will win? The Apprentice will air weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One, from Wednesday October 2, followed by You’re Fired on BBC Two
MEET THE CONTESTANTS: THE MEN
Dean Ahmad
Age: 20
Occupation: Owner, Sports management agency
Lives: Essex
Key information: Founding his sports management company at the age of 15, Dean believes he is the ‘definition of an entrepreneur’. He states his confidence and emotional intelligence are ‘off the charts’ and doesn’t think that he has many traits that would let him down in business.
He says: ‘I’ve definitely got the gift of the gab, I can persuade anyone to do anything.’
Ryan-Mark Parsons
Age: 19
Occupation: Luxury womenswear consultant
Lives: South East London
Key information: As the youngest candidate, Ryan-Mark is ready to prove that age is irrelevant when it comes to business, describing himself as ‘a 60-year-old trapped in a teenager’s body’. He is an award winning public speaker and says Queen Elizabeth II is his role model, admiring her ‘no-nonsense persona’. Despite believing his best asset to be his ability to ‘forge a connection with anyone’ he admits ‘he’s not afraid to be ruthless when it comes to the other candidates’.
He says: ‘I am the epitome of luxury.’
Kenna Ngoma
Age: 24
Occupation: Owner, ice cream company
Lives: Greater Manchester
Key information: Before creating his alcohol-infused ice cream company in 2018, Kenna played semi-professional football for Manchester City before that was cut short by injury in 2013. Kenna believes he is enthusiastic with an ‘infectious personality’, which he hopes will aid him to befriend the strongest candidates to help him build alliances for the Boardroom.
He says: ‘I combine a thirst to learn with entrepreneurial thinking, ready to win at all costs’
Riyonn Farsad
Age: 30
Occupation: Events manager
Lives: South London
Key information: Riyonn sees his personality as his best asset; ‘I am fun, smart and always get on with everyone – I have never come across anyone who doesn’t get on with me.’ Riyonn strives to live by the mantra ‘why work for someone else, when you can work for yourself and be the best at that’. Amongst his work as a freelance Events Manager and other ventures, he has invented his own party card-based game and says he has ‘a little black book full of multi-million-pound ideas’.
He says: ‘I will use my poker face and tactics to always come out on top.’
Souleyman Bah
Age: 20
Occupation: Para Athlete and motivational speaker
Lives: South West London
Key information: Souleyman is a motivational speaker for schools and trains with the Great Britain Paralympic Olympic Team, specialising in sprinting. Having been diagnosed with Retina Pigmentosa at age six, he says that he’s inspired by late musician Ray Charles because ‘he made blindness cool and achieved immense success despite his disability’. Souleyman plans to be brutally honest, bold and fight for his place by trying to keep Lord Sugar’s attention on him.
He says: ‘The less sight I have, the more imagination I gain, because what you see is what you see and what you don’t see is when the magic begins.’
Thomas Skinner
Age: 28
Occupation: Owner, pillow company
Lives: East London
Key information: Thomas showed entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. He started with a paper round at age 12 and was selling on the markets by age 16. Since then he has set up his own pillow company, attributing his business success to his ‘sharp’, ‘street wise’ character and notes that being ‘a chancer’ has worked in his favour more often than not. Confident in himself, he says he doesn’t have a role model stating, ‘I am my own person’.
He says: ‘I don’t plan – I just do everything on impulse. When I plan, I always get it wrong.’
Shahin Hassan
Age: 36
Occupation: Chartered Engineer
Lives: Birmingham
Key information: Shahin credits Elon Musk as one of his role models because he ‘thinks outside the box’, a quality he prides himself in having and thinks that his imagination will make him stand out from the other candidates. He believes having a plan and being able to execute it well is key to success and admits he gets frustrated when people don’t follow plans through.
He says: ‘I love business more than sharks love blood…I’m ruthless in my pursuit of success.’
Lewis Ellis
Age: 28
Occupation: Digital marketing project manager
Lives: Lancashire
Key information: A self-proclaimed ‘maverick’ who doesn’t like to follow the rules, Lewis is confident his competitiveness and determination will see him through the process. He admits he struggles to hide his true feelings in his facial expressions, and says his confidence is often mistaken for arrogance but says ‘I don’t think I’m better than anyone else’.
He says: ‘I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but I’ll sure as hell work harder.’
He won gold in the 100m in the Paralympic School of Games in Brazil in 2015
Having been diagnosed with degenerative condition Retina Pigmentosa at age six, he says that he’s inspired by late musician Ray Charles because ‘he made blindness cool and achieved immense success despite his disability’.
Souleyman plans to be brutally honest, bold and fight for his place by trying to keep Lord Sugar’s attention on him.
He says: ‘The less sight I have, the more imagination I gain, because what you see is what you see and what you don’t see is when the magic begins.’
Souleyman has previously appeared on Channel 4 show, The Undateables in 2017, where he expressed his wish to find a girlfriend before losing all of his sight.
He was stood up on his first date but melted viewers hearts when he went on a successful second date.
Ominous: Lord Sugar will once more be joined by trusted aides Karren Brady and Claude Littner, as the 16 hopefuls look to be crowned this year’s Apprentice
Leading the boasts from the eight men, chartered engineer Shahin Hassan, 36, ambitiously said: ‘I love business more than sharks love blood…I’m ruthless in my pursuit of success.’
Birmingham based Shahin credits Elon Musk as one of his role models because he ‘thinks outside the box’, a quality he prides himself in having and thinks that his imagination will make him stand out from the other candidates.
He believes having a plan and being able to execute it well is key to success and admits he gets frustrated when people don’t follow plans through.
Also battling it out in the boardroom will be former Dragon’s Den star Pamela Laird, 29, who founded award-winning beauty business Moxi Loves.
Pamela, who is a nail technician and self-confessed beauty expert, created the brand which offers clever cleansing products suitable for travelling.
The Dublin native turned down three offers of investment from the Dragon’s Den team, before becoming one of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Pamela attributes the success of her beauty company to her ‘entrepreneurial gene’.
Fierce competition: 1 – Lubna, 2 – Iasha, 3 – Thomas, 4- Kenna, 5- Scarlett, 6- Riyonn, 7- Lottie, 8- Dean, 9- Shahin, 10 – Carina, 11- Ryan-Mark, 12- Lewis, 13 – Marianne, 14 – Jemelin, 15- Pamela, 16- Souleyman will battle it out for the £250k investment
She describes herself as feisty and passionate with a charismatic personality, which enables her to excel in sales. but acknowledges she can be impatient and demanding and often finds it difficult to delegate tasks.
She says: ‘I love to be the under-estimated person in the room.’
The director of Dough Artisan Bakehouse Carina Lepore is also joining the women on the show, which is set to air later this year.
Carina, 30, has littered her Instagram page with skin-baring shots from her day-to-day life at her bakery and recent sun-drenched holidays to Ibiza and Tenerife.
The baker says she is a natural leader and that people latch onto her to benefit from the influence she carries.
She believes it’s ‘written in the stars’ that she’ll be Lord Sugar’s next Apprentice, warning that the other candidates shouldn’t underestimate her because of her South London accent as she knows how to ‘put on a suit and be the full package’.
She says: ‘I’m about 5 foot 1 inch tall – I’m like a pocket rocket, you don’t really want to mess with me’.
The Apprentice will air weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One, from Wednesday October 2, followed by You’re Fired on BBC Two.