Who are the new confirmed candidates of The Apprentice 2023? New season of BBC show approaches

Discover some of the new candidates starring in series 17 of The Apprentice which starts on BBC1 Thursday 5 January at 9pm
Marina Licht
By Marina Licht
3rd Jan 2023, 3:17pm

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(Front row seated left to right) Denisha Kaur Bharj, Joe Phillips, Megan Hornby, Shannon Martin, Kevin D'Arcy, Emma Browne, (middle row left to right) Avi Sharma, Bradley Johnson, Mark Moseley, Shazia Hussain, Sohail Chowdhary, Rochelle Anthony, (Back Row left to right) Marnie Swindells, Simba Rwambiwa, Dani Donovan, Gregory Ebbs, Victoria Goulbourne, and Reece Donnelly, the new candidates for this year's BBC One contest, The Apprentice. (BBC)(Front row seated left to right) Denisha Kaur Bharj, Joe Phillips, Megan Hornby, Shannon Martin, Kevin D'Arcy, Emma Browne, (middle row left to right) Avi Sharma, Bradley Johnson, Mark Moseley, Shazia Hussain, Sohail Chowdhary, Rochelle Anthony, (Back Row left to right) Marnie Swindells, Simba Rwambiwa, Dani Donovan, Gregory Ebbs, Victoria Goulbourne, and Reece Donnelly, the new candidates for this year's BBC One contest, The Apprentice. (BBC)
(Front row seated left to right) Denisha Kaur Bharj, Joe Phillips, Megan Hornby, Shannon Martin, Kevin D'Arcy, Emma Browne, (middle row left to right) Avi Sharma, Bradley Johnson, Mark Moseley, Shazia Hussain, Sohail Chowdhary, Rochelle Anthony, (Back Row left to right) Marnie Swindells, Simba Rwambiwa, Dani Donovan, Gregory Ebbs, Victoria Goulbourne, and Reece Donnelly, the new candidates for this year's BBC One contest, The Apprentice. (BBC)

If you are feeling a little flat after Christmas and are in need of a new TV series to lift you up, you will be pleased to know that series 17 of The Apprentice returns to BBC1

It is hard to believe that The Apprentice first launched back in 2005. The series, which sees candidates battle it out to win a quarter-of-a-million-pound investment with billionaire boss, Lord Alan Sugar, has had some memorable characters appear in the programme over the years.

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These include far-right political commentator Katie Hopkins who appeared on series 3 and television personality Saira Khan who appeared on series 1.

So back to The Apprentice 2023 candidates. Let’s meet five of them…

London-based Avi Sharma is a city banker and the youngest candidate in the series.London-based Avi Sharma is a city banker and the youngest candidate in the series.
London-based Avi Sharma is a city banker and the youngest candidate in the series.

Avi Sharma

Avi is the youngest contestant of series 17 of The Apprentice and works as a city banker. He describes himself as a “confident chap who can bring a smile to the most miserable face!”

When asked why he deserves Lord Sugar’s investment, he said: “Lord Sugar’s investment will help me escape the rat race of a banking job, I’m the hardest working rat he’ll ever meet.”

Dani Donovan

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Dani Donovan is the owner of a hair salon in Hertfordshire.Dani Donovan is the owner of a hair salon in Hertfordshire.
Dani Donovan is the owner of a hair salon in Hertfordshire.

Dani is the owner of a hair salon and hails from Hertfordshire. She has shown the entrepreneurial spirit from a young age as she started her business when she was a teenager.

She said that her “biggest weakness is also my biggest strength. It’s that nothing is ever good enough and that I always want more.”

Gregory Ebbs

Gregory, is a local councillor who runs his own online antique business, and comes from Shropshire.

Shropshire-based local councillor Gregory Ebbs, owns an online antiques marketplace.Shropshire-based local councillor Gregory Ebbs, owns an online antiques marketplace.
Shropshire-based local councillor Gregory Ebbs, owns an online antiques marketplace.

He says that he is worthy of Lord Sugar’s investment because “I deserve Lord Sugar’s investment because I’ve got the experience and the vision to push my business forward and make it a resounding success.”

Marnie Swindells

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Marine from London works as a Court Advocate, but is also a gold-medal winning boxer. She is therefore definitely going to be up for a good fight in The Apprentice, so fellow candidates better watch out!

Marnie Swindells is a court advocate from London, is also a gold medal winning boxer. Marnie Swindells is a court advocate from London, is also a gold medal winning boxer.
Marnie Swindells is a court advocate from London, is also a gold medal winning boxer.

She says “I have fought tooth and nail to get to where I am today with my business. I deserve the chance to have that investment to show him what I can do with it.”

Shazia Hussain

Like Marnie, Shazia who is a Technology Recruiter, comes from London. She reveals that “My USP is my ADHD, which means I can process information faster than others. This often means that my reaction time is quicker, and I look at things differently.”

The Apprentice returns to BBC TV this coming Thursday, January 5 at 9pm.

Related topics:The Apprentice2023BBC

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