The Apprentice 2023 winner has been revealed by Lord Sugar in the final task tonight.
After 12 weeks of competition, challenges and battles both in and out of the boardroom, this evening was The Apprentice 2023 final.
Rochelle Raye Anthony and Marnie Swindells were the final two and they had to launch their businesses.
In their ultimate challenge, the final two had to create a new brand for their company, produce a digital billboard,direct and edit a TV advert and design a metaverse before pitching it all directly to Lord Sugar.
Who won The Apprentice 2023?
After a tense final boardroom, Lord Sugar named Marnie Swindells as the winner of The Apprentice 2023.
Lord Sugar picked Marnie to be his business partner. Her community focused boxing gym, BRONX will receive a £250,000 investment and 50/50 partnership with the multi-millionaire business mogul.
In the final boardroom tonight, Lord Sugar’s trusted aides, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE, gave their thoughts on the finalists’ performance before Lord Sugar made his decision.
About Marnie, Baroness Brady said: “Marnie, she has never run a business before, and she’s chosen a business that’s very competitive – can she stand out in this very competitive market?”
With Tim adding: “That being said, for an ambassador for a boxing facility, there is no one better I would think than Marnie and what she stands for.”
Talking about Rochelle, Tim said: “It’s what we posed to her at the very beginning of this final stage, to prove this is scalable. And having been in business for a number of years, I’m not 100% sure that she’s captured that piece about how she takes it from one successful store to a nationwide entity.”
While Baroness Brady added: “The one thing I know you can do is put the infrastructure around her and that she will need to be able to focus on running her business.”
Making his final decision, Lord Sugar made his final decision saying: “Marnie, it is such a crowded and competitive market. I’m thinking, ‘is this £250,000 down the drain?’
“Rochelle, what worries me about you is why would your second and third branch would be popular and make me and you money?
“It’s a tough one, but Marnie, you’re asking me to invest in something which is completely alien to me to be honest and you’ve never run a business before. Rochelle, it’s opening the second one and it really is a difficult decision as to what industry I should be in. Two very excellent candidates. But I’ve always been known to be a gambler, I’ve always been known to try new horizons so I’m going to try a new horizon… Marnie, you are going to be my business partner.”
Marnie reacted: “What an incredible opportunity and moment for a girl like me to get to a place like this and have become Lord Sugar’s business partner. It feels strange to even say that, but I’m not going to stop saying it because I am so happy.”
A new series of The Apprentice has already been confirmed with applications underway.
You can catch up with this series of The Apprentice online now via BBC iPlayer.
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