Today, the first episode of the much awaited ‘The Apprentice 2012’ will be aired on BBC One at 9pm. I use the words ‘much awaited’ as this is a unscripted TV series which I have waited for since the last 2011 series.
I always make an effort to ‘check out’ the the apprentices before the programme is aired, just spend a few minutes reading their statements of how perfect they are. Doing this, just gives you an idea of the type of person you will see on TV. Some will be smart, some over the top, some totally clueless and some who simply rub you and everyone else up the wrong way.
So, to save you the hassle of digging up about the apprentices, I have done all the hard work and put together some information, so you too can get to know the bright future of UK business entrepreneurs.
As I said in my first post in this space, that I hope to share my views, opinions and comments following each episode that is aired, so find this as an introduction to the apprentices and how they sell themselves – with a talk of a ‘blond assassin’ to ‘..roar my way to the top’ to personalities stating ‘I’m quite good-looking’, it’s a mixture of all elements in the same grinder and definitely in for explosive moments:
The Girls:
Name: Bilyana Apostolova
Age: 25
Job: Risk analyst
Lives: London
Interests: Dancing, baking and travelling
About her: She started her career as an entrepreneur selling snails on her grandparents’ farm in Bulgaria.
She says: ‘I got myself from a Communist block of flats in Bulgaria to the top of a skyscraper in the heart of the City of London.’
Name: Gabrielle Omar
Age: 29
Job: Architect
Lives: London
Interests: Travelling – she once visited 13 different countries in a year.
About her: Her first job was working in her parents’ fish and chip shop when she was 14.
She says: ‘When it comes to business I can be like an animal and I will roar my way to the top.’
Name: Jade Nash
Age: 29
Job: Business development manager
Lives: Bedfordshire
Interests: Going to the gym and watching drag racing
About her: She is a former 18-30 rep and worked at her parents’ caravan park while she was growing up.
She says: ‘What I want is to be able to retire when I’m 45, but I’m such a workaholic that I’ll probably carry on until I’m 80.’
Name: Maria O’Connor
Age: 20
Job: Restaurateur
Lives: Kent
Interests: Shopping and socialising
About her: She opened her own Greek restaurant when she was 19.
She says: ‘If you chuck me in the deep end I’ll swim, I won’t sink.’
Name: Jenna Whittingham
Age: 25
Job: Beauty salon owner
Lives: Lancashire
Interests: Showjumping – she competed at the Wembley 1998 Horse of the Year Show.
About her: She has never been away from home for longer than a week and cannot cook or clean.
She says: ‘My personality and character is once seen, never forgotten.’
Name: Katie Wright
Age: 26
Job: Editorial and research director
Lives: London
Interests: She is a devoted fan of Fulham Football Club.
About her: Her first job was as a pot-washer in a French restaurant when she was 13.
She says: ‘I would call myself The Blonde Assassin. I let people under-estimate me just so I can blow them out of the water.’
Name: Laura Hogg
Age: 28
Job: Bridal shop owner
Lives: Glasgow
Interests: Winter sports.
About her: She once skated with Torvill and Dean.
She says: ‘I am going to be one of Scotland’s next big exports.’
Name: Jane McEvoy
Age: 28
Job: Co-founder of food manufacturing company
Lives: Kilkenny, Ireland
Interests: Animals
About her: She played hockey and camogie – an all-female version of hurling – for her province and county respectively.
She says: ‘Anything is achievable if you have drive, determination, and a seriously good work ethic.’
The Boys:
Name: Adam Corbally
Age: 32
Job: Market trader
Lives: Derbyshire
Interests: Swimming, football and cycling
About him: He started stacking shelves and now runs a wholesale fruit and veg business.
He says: ‘I get too excited, but that shows my passion, it shows my drive and it shows my ability.’
Name: Azhar Siddique
Age: 33
Job: Founder and managing director of catering and refrigeration company
Lives: Manchester
Interests: His two pet sharks
About him: He says he is inspired by Ikea and its founder, Invgar Kamprad.
He says: ‘It’s not who shouts the loudest, it’s who has the ability to control the conversation.’
Name: Duane Bryan
Age: 29
Job: Founder/director of drinks distribution company
Lives: Manchester
Interests: Going to bars and clubbing
About him: He is a have-a-go hero after he chased and caught a hit-and-run driver trying to flee the scene of a crash.
He says: ‘I am a winner and I am a fighter. In order to be the best you’ve got to beat the best.’
Name: Michael Copp
Age: 31
Job: Managing director of kitchen and bedroom furniture retailer
Lives: London
Interests: Fishing, walking and boxing
About him: He left school at 15 but now wishes he had stayed in education.
He says: ‘I’m better than unique; I’m naturally gifted in business.’
Name: Nick Holzherr
Age: 25
Job: Technology entrepreneur
Lives: Birmingham
Interests: Playing squash, snowboarding and cooking.
About him: He earned money as a nine-year-old by selling golf balls back to golfers.
He says: ‘I’ve got lots of ideas, I know how to whittle them down into ideas that will work and I’ve got what it takes to make them actually happen.’
Name: Ricky Martin
Age: 26
Job: Recruitment team leader
Lives: Hampshire
Interests: Bodybuilding and wrestling
About him: He moonlights as a professional wrestler at nights and at the weekend.
He says: ‘I truly am the reflection of perfection.’
Name: Stephen Brady
Age: 33
Job: National sales manager
Lives: Vienna, Austria
Interests: Learning languages
About him: He once played in the FA Cup as a semi-professional footballer.
He says: ‘Enthusiasm is a huge asset of mine and I believe it’s caught and not taught.’
Name: Tom Gearing
Age: 23
Job: Director of a fine wine investment company
Lives: London
Interests: Watching West Ham and going to gigs.
About him: He says he can be over-confident and does not like early mornings.
He says: ‘I’m confident, charismatic and some people say I’m quite good-looking, so that adds to the bill.’
The British Asian Blog 
Not a fan of this program ..
At least my friend watch today’s episode. You may well become a fan, at least fan for the disasters that happen on the programme.
Maria o’conner is defo out… She’s too young.
You think so, are you judging a book based on its cover?
No not all I’m judging on age. If you look in the past. The older finalist always wins. Sir Allan won’t hire someone so young, she doesn’t stand a chance.
I disagree, it could be coincidence that previous winners fall in the old band than the rest – but on business ground, the younger you are the less experience you tend to have, making the young person more daring and more incline to take bigger risks.
Sir Alan will hire who he thinks has a good business entrepreneurial head and age factor simply does not come into it. Laila, don’t disappoint me.
Thanks for the backdrop on this yrs candidates.
Looking at these profiles, what becomes instantly apparent is that between the age of 9 – 14, most of them were “selling” things, is that the mark of a great business person? Also, as a majority of them “own” their enterprises, it makes me wonder how savvey they are in promoting their own company by taking crap for the next “so many weeks”. Why would these lot want to take 100k job (which pays them around 75k after tax) and loose out the daily focus on their own businesses? Doesn’t add up.
Here’s some predictions:
Who will make us want to through the sink at the TV each time they open their mouth? Gabrielle Omar
First victim today? It will be from the boys – Ricky Martin
Who will win? Maria O’Connor [Raw talent, easy to mould and there are too many Greek places to eat in KENT anyway]
Nooooooo she won’t win… Looks to me you and TBAB have picked your favs already.
This may all backfire on us and she get’s “ice-picked” by another female and becomes the first. Although her age is an opportunity Sir AS might exploit, it is also something her rival ladies may do, try to control her.
Who knows!
I think I’d side with Potatosandwich on this one, especially with Maria O’Connor, as I don’t believe age is a negative factor but a positive one. Let’s see how things turn out after today’s episode.
I don’t think balyana had watched the show before lol
The Bulgarian block of flats came tumbling down. Yes, and I agree, she was weak in understanding ‘team’ effort and simply talked herself out of the process.
She really was out of her comfort zone and crumbled under the pressure. Amazing Gabriel didn’t go.
Hey there’s one from Glasgow this year too 😉
I’ve got a few favourites already… 😉
In all honest, I thought the person to leave was the ‘Blond Assassin’ but when the Romanian block of flats opened her mouth, she changed Lord Alan’s decision and get herself fired.
Just for the record – not all ppl from KENT speak like Maria! “Ju Know Wat I Mean”….
Also just goes to show, crap products, if marketed well can succeed.
“Ju know what I mean”….lol
Missed the first episode is this repeated any time during the week
You can watch it anytime on BBC iPlayer if you have access to a computer and internet, or it will be repeated again on Tuesday on BBC 1 HD.
You can watch it on BBC iPlayer if you have access to a PC and Internet – on BBC iPlayer it’s available to watch for another 7 days. Or on Tuesday (late in the evening) it will be repeated on BBC One HD.
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😉 😉 😉 😉 😉
She’s out! She’s out! 😉
Me thinks you should stop making predictions on this programme. I was right
😉
😉
😉
😉
I didn’t make any prediction quote “especially with Maria O’Connor, as I don’t believe age is a negative factor but a positive one. Let’s see how things turn out after today’s episode”
Me thinks you shouldn’t take this programme too too serious my dear – it’s only a laugh – which some are allowed to have.
I don’t think you have the capacity to see my sense of humour either… Shame really
When I eventually do see your sense of humour – I’ll give you credit for it. Oh and there’s no shame in it 😉
And the comment was really towards potato who predicted she would win.
I Wont be holding my breath… Good night
The darkness falls again.
I wonder how the blonde assassin survived she has go. I think jade will win it, she seems to be lurking in the shadows and i think she is clever too. I like the way you have presented your research very simple and easy to read.
Yes, I agree the Blonde Assassin should have gone out. It may have been initial ‘first task’ nerves that got her – as she has done pretty OK in the second task.
Jade, is a good choice but I think there are some strong contenders on the Guy’s side.
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I really enjoyed this year’s Apprentice – I was hooked as soon as i heard Ricky Martin was going to be in it. hehe.
A bit of news about Apprentice Jenna Whittingham. She recently joined a UK Network Marketing Company. It just goes to show how brilliant Network marketing is. Here’s my post about it http://wp.me/p1oicv-1M
Have a fab day.