After ten weeks of boardroom battles, sales stumbles and a healthy dose of shouting over each other in taxis, The Apprentice has reached its final five. With the finish line in sight, the remaining candidates now face the most unforgiving challenge of the series: the interviews.
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Ahead of tonight’s episode, the BBC has revealed the final five hopefuls and their business ideas—each pitching for a £250,000 investment and the backing of Lord Sugar. Here’s a detailed look at who’s left in the running, what they’re bringing to the table, and what they had to say about their journey so far.
Amber-Rose Badrudin
Business: Asian grocery store and retail brand Oreemart
Reaching the final five of The Apprentice was always the goal for Amber-Rose Badrudin—and she made it with laser focus. “I had tunnel vision from the start,” she says. “Every decision I made was about getting to interview stage. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.” When Lord Sugar finally said the words, she let a tear fall. “We were up against it—a team of three against a team of four—and I’d been in the boardroom with strong candidates like Dean and Chisola. That final boardroom was intense.”
Amber-Rose co-founded Oreemart, an Asian grocery store with her business partner Michael, after the pair left behind careers in door-to-door sales. “We didn’t have much money, just a desire to build something of our own. We shopped at Asian supermarkets all the time, so we created a space that made people feel welcome, whatever their background.” Her South Asian heritage, paired with Michael’s Vietnamese background, helped shape a business that’s both authentic and accessible.
What’s drawn so much public attention, though, is Amber-Rose’s social media presence. With a strong TikTok following and viral content tied directly to her store, she’s been scrutinised for promoting her business online—but she’s unapologetic. “I get paid to market my own company. That means I don’t need to take money out of the business, which gives me room to grow. Social media is a currency, and I’ve learned to use it. It’s proof of how hard I’ve worked.”
That mindset was forged long before The Apprentice. Raised by a single mum in a council flat, Amber-Rose began working at 15, earning £30 a shift in a catering hall just to afford the same freedoms her classmates had. “I didn’t have a safety net. I had to figure things out myself—sign school forms, help with the banking, manage on my own. That level of responsibility makes you independent fast.”
Her mother, a hairdresser who “never complains,” remains her biggest inspiration. “She’s always been calm, and I’ve always been the opposite—stressed, thinking about the future. But she showed me the value of just getting on with things. That’s always stuck with me.”
Despite her composure in the boardroom, Amber-Rose is honest about facing imposter syndrome during the process. “Those feelings were real, but the stakes were too high to let them take over. This was a once-in-a-lifetime shot. I had to see it through.” As for advice for future candidates? “Be yourself. That’s what made me stand out. Don’t mould yourself into what you think they want. Know what makes you different—and own it.”
Anisa Khan
Business: Punjabi fusion pizza brand, Bombay Pizza
Anisa Khan arrives in the final five with more boardroom appearances than any other candidate—eight losses, and still standing. “I thought I was going to get fired,” she admits of that final boardroom moment. “So when Lord Sugar said my name, it felt like a huge release.” But if the 26-year-old Londoner has proved anything during the process, it’s that setbacks don’t scare her. “I’ve been watching the show since I was seven,” she says. “And being here now feels surreal.”
Anisa walked away from a promising corporate career in economics to build a food business that felt personal. Her brand of Punjabi fusion pizzas is inspired by her roots, and backed by determination that’s been shaped by both family sacrifice and personal resilience. “My parents immigrated to the UK in the 70s. I saw their hard work and the independence I had to take on growing up—banking, school forms, everything. It made me who I am.”
Launching a restaurant business wasn’t what her family had in mind. “They hated it,” she says, frankly. “They wanted something more secure for me. But I’ve always been someone who goes after what I want—even when no one else sees it yet.” That same drive has seen her represent England in Kabaddi and live abroad in Japan, both experiences her parents initially resisted. “But I knew they’d be important to my growth. And I was right.”
Now, Anisa is looking to grow a brand that not only disrupts a male-dominated food industry, but challenges cultural expectations too. “I didn’t know any women running restaurants. I want to be that representation.” She’s candid about the process testing her limits, especially mentally—but says it only confirmed her resilience. “I realised how strong I am. If I have a goal, I go get it. Even after loss after loss, I kept putting myself forward.”
Her advice for anyone thinking of applying to The Apprentice? “Do it. Even if it scares you. You miss all the shots you don’t take—and this one changed everything for me.”
Chisola Chitambala
Business: Virtual assistant agency for busy professionals
For Chisola Chitambala, making it to the final five wasn’t just about business—it was personal. “I think my younger self would be proud of me,” she says. “It felt like one of those full-circle moments.” After leading a three-person team to victory in task 10 and securing her place in the interviews, she broke down in the boardroom. “I didn’t think we’d won. And to hear Lord Sugar say I’d made it, it felt like everything I’d been through in life had led to that point.”
Chisola’s path into entrepreneurship wasn’t linear. She’s a qualified children’s nurse—still registered and occasionally picking up agency shifts—and her passion for paediatrics runs deep. But during a period of study leave caused by chronic migraine, she took a temporary role at Nando’s and was unexpectedly fast-tracked from the shop floor to head office. At just 21, she was coaching managers on leadership. “It opened my eyes to business,” she says. “And it lit a fire in me I hadn’t expected.”
That fire eventually led to her founding a virtual assistant company, built to help busy entrepreneurs and small businesses stay organised, focused and scalable. It’s a model shaped by both her healthcare and corporate experience. “Nursing teaches you to stay calm in chaos,” she explains. “Whether it’s managing distraught parents in A&E or making fast decisions under pressure, those skills translate directly into business.”
Her resilience, she says, has been forged by personal and professional challenges alike. Diagnosed with chronic migraine at 15, the condition has derailed her life at times—but it also gave her perspective. “There were years when I couldn’t do anything for months. That kind of setback teaches you to cherish the moments you feel good—and it makes you tougher.” She also hopes her presence on The Apprentice raises awareness around the condition. “People think it’s just a headache. It’s so much more than that.”
In a house filled with big personalities, Chisola was sometimes perceived as quiet—but that, she says, was strategic. “I’m not the loudest in the room, but when I speak, it’s to add value. I knew people underestimated me. But that’s fine. Don’t underestimate the quiet ones.” That mindset served her well—she kept her cool across the tasks, managed pressure with clarity, and earned respect without shouting over others.
She’s reflective about what she’s learned. “This process taught me when to adapt and when to pivot. Not everything will go to plan, and you’ve got to know when to let go and try something new without falling apart.” If she could change anything? “Maybe I’d speak up more about my wins. I didn’t always shout about what I’d done well. But that’s something I’ll take with me going forward.”
To anyone thinking of applying for the next series, her advice is clear: “Silence the voice in your head telling you not to try. Apply anyway. Even if you don’t make it, it might show you something about yourself. Just go for it. Stop letting fear of failure hold you back.”
Dean Franklin
Business: Premium air conditioning services and installation
Dean Franklin describes making it to the final five as “the pinnacle”—his equivalent of I’m A Celebrity’s cyclone challenge. “That’s the level every Apprentice candidate wants to get to,” he says. And after being brought back to the boardroom multiple times across the series, he’s proud to have gone the distance. “I want people watching to think, ‘He’s going to get fired now,’ and then be surprised. That’s the fun of it.”
The 34-year-old Essex business owner runs a successful air conditioning company and entered the process not just for investment, but for the guidance. “The business is doing well—we’ve got money in the bank. But I’ve never had business training. It’s all self-taught. I need someone like Lord Sugar to help take it to the next level.” While his company is already profitable, he’s aiming to expand the brand with a premium edge—offering design-focused cooling systems that stand out from the typical industrial fare.
Dean’s journey into air conditioning wasn’t planned. Originally interested in electrics, he fell into the trade after a job interview steered him in a new direction. “I just got good at it. Then I saw the money, the opportunities, and thought, ‘I’m sticking with this.’” During the pandemic—while juggling two newborns—he quit his secure job to launch the business with a partner. “Everyone thought I was mad. But we just worked. Non-stop. And it grew.”
Being the only parent on this year’s series added an emotional layer. “I’m with my family all the time, so being away was the hardest part,” he admits. “I missed them like mad. My daughter barely understood what I was doing—she probably thought I was in prison!” His wife stepped up at home, handling their kids, the house and even relaying messages between Dean and his business partner. “She’s my biggest supporter. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
That family-first mentality is Dean’s driving force. “Everything I do is for them. I just want to give them the best life possible. If that means working late, working weekends, I’ll do it.” He recalls walking through the door after his first boardroom survival and the housemates erupting in cheers—“the biggest reaction they’ve ever had,” he says. “It was a turning point. That moment changed me.”
Despite his calm, stern appearance on TV, Dean insists there’s more to him. “You’ve seen the professional side. I hope as the process goes on, people see me relax a bit. I want my personality to come through.” One thing he didn’t expect? The nerves. “It wasn’t the cameras—it was the microphones. The minute someone shoved one under my chin, I crumbled.”
The process taught Dean more than he expected—particularly about how resilient he really is. “You’re drained. You miss people. You’re thinking on your feet constantly. Coming up with ideas, logos, slogans. I’d never done any of that. But I got through it. And I don’t think I give myself enough credit for that.”
So what’s his advice for anyone thinking about applying? “Don’t go into it thinking it’s easy. It’s not. Lord Sugar says it’s the toughest process—and he’s right. But if you’re mentally strong, and you’re doing it for the right reasons, it’s one of the best things you’ll ever do.”
Jordan Dargan
Business: 3D animation and digital content creation
Jordan Dargan isn’t surprised to be in the final five—he expected it from day one. “I wasn’t here to get far,” he says. “I was here to win.” The youngest candidate in this year’s series, the 22-year-old Dublin native has backed himself from the moment he applied. “You have to believe it’s possible or there’s no point starting,” he says. “I’ve watched The Apprentice since I was seven. I knew the format. I knew how to play it.”
That self-assurance hasn’t come from nowhere. Jordan is entirely self-taught in 3D animation—a career he built after walking away from a job in London with no formal training and no backup plan. “I was broke. So I went on YouTube and taught myself what I needed to know to make money. That’s the beauty of it—YouTube is a free university.” Within months, he’d landed Jägermeister as a client, and later worked with men’s jewellery brand CRAFTD. “I showed them what I could do. They believed in the vision. And that’s all it takes.”
His animation business has gained momentum quickly, but Jordan says joining The Apprentice wasn’t about fame—it was about growth. “If I wanted fame, I’d have gone on Love Island,” he laughs. “This is about mentorship. Lord Sugar is one of the most successful businessmen in the country. I’ve done well on my own, but to level up? I need that guidance.” For Jordan, the investment matters—but the learning opportunity means even more.
As the only Irish candidate in the final five, Jordan has spoken candidly about growing up mixed race in a predominantly white area. “You get the slurs, the comments. It gives you thick skin.” That resilience has followed him into business—and into the boardroom. “You get critiqued constantly in this process. But no one can say anything that makes me feel less than. I’ve heard worse. I know who I am.”
Jordan’s route into entrepreneurship wasn’t a childhood dream—it was necessity. “I never wanted to be a businessperson. I just needed to make money.” But through that pressure came passion. “I was always artistic. I just never saw a way to make a living from it until now. Animation became my outlet, and my business became a way to make it sustainable.” He’s built everything from scratch and doesn’t take it for granted. “That feeling of making your own income? It changes everything.”
Despite his confidence, Jordan is open about the journey it took to get here. “I was rejected the first time I applied for The Apprentice. And even this year, I was a reserve—I only got the call two days before filming.” He laughs, remembering the panic. “I was mid-haircut, muted the phone and had a little celebration. Then realised I had to buy three months’ worth of suits in a weekend.”
Now, with just one boardroom left between him and the final, Jordan reflects on what he’s learned. “I never thought I was a strong public speaker, but I ended up leading every pitch. I realised I’m actually more well-rounded than I gave myself credit for.” His advice to future applicants is simple: be yourself. “The first time I applied, I tried to give them what I thought they wanted. This time, I answered like I was in a pub in Dublin. I kept it chill, I kept it real. And that’s what worked.”
As the interview stage looms, each candidate will need to defend not only their numbers, but their vision—and themselves. With Claude Littner, Linda Plant, Mike Soutar and Claudine Collins ready to pull every pitch apart, nothing will be left unscrutinised. And by the end of the night, only two candidates will remain in the running for Lord Sugar’s investment.
The Apprentice continues tonight on BBC One and iPlayer.
