Lord Alan Sugar is once again on the hunt for a new business partner, as The Apprentice returns for its 17th season.
Helped out by his trusted advisors Karren Brady and Tim Campbell, he’ll be putting 18 new candidates through their paces over the course of the coming weeks, in an attempt to work out which of them deserves a £250,000 investment in their business.
One of those hopefuls is Bradley Johnson, a self-made businessman who hails from Yorkshire and prides himself on his determination and strong work ethic.
His company, he says, has a turnover of half a million pounds – and with Lord Sugar’s help, he’s hoping to boost that to a seven figure sum in three years’ time.
Will these business dreams come true, or will Bradley end up heading home in a black cab after a boardroom battle? We’ll have to wait to find out, but before he makes his Apprentice debut, here’s what we know so far about the contestant.
Who is Bradley Johnson?
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Job: Director of a construction company
From: North Yorkshire
After being made redundant in 2019, Bradley has been building up his construction business and is “immensely proud” of how his venture is doing so far.
“Starting a business from absolutely nothing and taking it to a company that’s turning over six figures demonstrates my determination and strong work ethic,” he says. “A lot of people in business – I’m not saying everyone – have inherited their businesses. This is not the case for myself.”
Along the way, Bradley says he’s worked hard to combat his fear of public speaking, as he was “always the shy kid at school” and “hated having to stand up and read in English lessons”.
These days, he gets up early on a Friday morning to “host a business networking event” where he “talk[s] to over 50 businesses”, which “has really helped [him] to have the confidence to be able to stand up and speak to anyone”. Hopefully it will stand him in good stead for the challenges he’ll face on the show.
What has Bradley said about joining The Apprentice?
Bradley reckons that he should be the one to receive a quarter of a million pounds from Lord Sugar because he has “a proven business” and a “strong can-do attitude” – plus he reckons he’s worked out a business plan that will “see us turn over seven figures after year three and who knows where else that could take us”.
When does The Apprentice start?
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We don’t have long to wait before The Apprentice is back on TV, as the first episode is set to begin on Thursday 5th January at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
In this opening instalment, the 18 new candidates will be flying out to Antigua for their first task, which will see them creating and selling excursions to tourists.
Lord Sugar’s advisors Karren Brady and Tim Campbell will be keeping a close eye on proceedings and reporting their findings when they return to London, while Claude Littner, who only appeared in the interview episode of season 16 following a serious bike accident, will feature in two episodes this time around.
The Apprentice airs on 5th January at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide for more to watch.
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