Lord Alan Sugar is heading back to the boardroom in search of a new business partner as The Apprentice returns to our screens.
18 candidates will be competing for the chance to win a £250,000 investment in their business, hoping to prove that they’ve got a cool head, commercial instinct and serious negotiating skills over the course of the coming weeks.
Each week, they’ll be faced with a new task designed to test different aspects of their business acumen, as Lord Sugar’s trusted advisers Karren Brady, Tim Campbell and Claude Littner keep a close eye on proceedings (and report back to the boss).
Promising to “say it how it is” in order to win tasks, sales professional Emma Browne is among the new faces on this year’s Apprentice line-up.
Hailing from County Kildare in Ireland, Emma describes herself as “highly motivated” and “extremely competitive” – a classic Apprentice personality type, then.
Here’s everything you need to know about Emma before episode 1 airs.
Who is Emma Browne?
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Job: Senior account executive
From: County Kildare
Instagram: @emma_brownexx
Emma has more than five years of experience working within “diverse, competitive sales environments” and has won many awards over the course of her career so far.
Describing herself as a “workaholic” who is “beyond determined”, Emma says she isn’t afraid of speaking up and voicing her thoughts. “If I have an opinion and I think it’s valid and logical I will say it how it is,” she promises.
And as for her business plan? Emma reckons her idea is a “uniquely profitable” one – and she’s confident that, whether she wins the investment from Lord Sugar or not, she will “make [her] company one of the most successful ideas to ever come out of The Apprentice”.
What has Emma said about joining The Apprentice?
Soon after this year’s Apprentice line-up was revealed, Emma posted about her latest venture on Instagram, writing: “I have been hiding a BIG BIG secret for quite some time, but beyond excited to announce that I will be appearing on the upcoming season of The Apprentice with Lord Sugar.
“I cannot believe I have been chosen out of hundreds of thousands of applicants for ONE OF THE BIGGEST SHOWS IN [THE] UK” she continued, adding that she felt “beyond proud” to have been selected for the show.
When does The Apprentice start?
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Now in its 17th season, The Apprentice will be back on our screens on Thursday 5th January, with the first episode airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm.
The 18 candidates will be jetting off to Antigua in the heart of the Caribbean, where their very first task awaits them.
After splitting up into two teams (and picking the obligatory pretentious team names), the hopefuls must run and sell bespoke tours for holidaymakers.
Karren and Claude (who is set to appear in two episodes this season after sitting out last year’s competition following a major injury) will join them on the island, and will observe all the chaos from the sidelines.
When they return to London, someone’s Apprentice journey will come to an end – and they’ll have the dubious honour of becoming the first candidate to be sent home with a “you’re fired” from Lord Sugar.
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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