The Apprentice 2025: Scorecard for Anisa and Dean as duo battle it out for Lord Sugar's £250k investment - who has more wins?

The hit BBC competition show returned earlier this year with a group of business hopefuls aiming to earn Lord Alan Sugar’s partnership and investment in their business plan. This year’s series has seen challenges such as creating a fashion brand, bringing a new hot sauce to market and organising corporate away-days to Turkey, as well as the classic TV selling and discount buying challenges.

Pizza company owner Anisa Khan and air conditioning entrepreneur Dean Franklin are the final two candidates standing in this year’s competition. The pair have prevailed throughout Lord Sugar’s challenges over the past 12 weeks and now will go head-to-head for the mogul’s £250,000 investment.

But who has done better throughout the process? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who has the better track record in The Apprentice 2025?

On paper, Dean has a better track record than Anisa in this year’s competition, but it is close between the two.

Both of the final candidates have a win as project manager under their belts, however Anisa, who repeatedly offered herself up as project manager, also has a project manager loss on her record.

Not only that, but Anisa has a brutal record of being on the losing team six times in a row this season, with two additional loses elsewhere in the season. Three of her last losses saw her being chosen to return to the boardroom for the final decision, although Lord Sugar failed to see the logic in her being brought back at some points.

Although Dean has more wins under his belt, he has been brought back to the boardroom more with a total of four close-calls. Dean was also chosen as an at-risk candidate by his project manager every time his team lost the weekly challenge.

Here’s a week-by-week breakdown of where Anisa and Dean themselves in the competition:

• Week 1: Anisa - PM Loss, Dean - Loss & brought back to the Boardroom
• Week 2: Anisa - PM Win, Dean - Win
• Week 3: Anisa - Loss, Dean - PM Win
• Week 4: Anisa - Loss, Dean - Win
• Week 5: Anisa - Loss, Dean - Win
• Week 6: Anisa - Loss, Dean - Win
• Week 7: Anisa - Loss & brought back to Boardroom, Dean - Loss & brought back to Boardroom
• Week 8: Anisa - Loss & brought back to Boardroom, Dean - Loss & brought back to Boardroom
• Week 9: Anisa - Win, Dean - Loss & brought back to the Boardroom
• Week 10: Anisa - Loss & brought back to the Boardroom, Dean - Win
• Week 11: Both progressed through interview to final

Who got the best feedback during The Apprentice interviews?

The Interview Stage is always a daunting moment for our candidates but makes for great television for viewers at home. Some of the most scathing put-downs of process come in the interviews, when business experts and Lord Sugar’s close friends, including ex aide Claude Littner, make their thorough assessment of the remaining five candidates.

This year was no different as Anisa and Dean alongside Jordan, Chisola and Amber-Rose were put through the wringer. Although Jordan, Chisola and Amber-Rose were eventually fired by Lord Sugar, Anisa and Dean got no shortage of a grilling from the experts.

Pizza company owner Anisa was memorably challenge by Mike Soutar, who conducted some field research by ordering a pizza from one of her establishments. While the ordering process left much to be desired, including a delayed pick-up, Mike raved over the flavour of Anisa’s South Asian-inspired pizza. He urged her to make subtle changes to make the product even more unique and less likely to be replicated by competitors.

Anisa was also challenged on her plan to create a bricks-and-mortar store for Bombay Pizza despite the success of her business in using dark kitchens so far. She was urged to switch up her business plan in favour of expanding via dark kitchens, rather than using Lord Sugar’s investment for a standalone store.

Dean was commended for building his air conditioning business into a thriving and profitable enterprise throughout the interview. Some of the expert told Lord Sugar that there would be low risk for him going into business with Dean as a result.

However, his success led some of the experts to question what he needed Lord Sugar’s investment for. Dean admitted that the real reason he is looking to win the competition is to gain Lord Sugar’s mentorship, rather than just the financial benefit.

This, mixed an embarrassing moment that saw Mike question his professionalism after finding images shared by the businessman on social media of one of his company’s air con units with a sex toy attached, may give Lors Sugar pause for thought before making his final decision.

The final of The Apprentice airs at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday, April 17.