See you in the boardroom: Meet the new faces of The Apprentice 2017

THE new series of The Apprentice is about to get under way, with 18 more ambitious hopefuls vying to the reality show.

Meet the nine women hoping to win Lord Sugar’s business investment:

Anisa Topan

Occupation: Owner, PR Fashion Agency
Lives: Surrey
Key information: Topan owns her own fashion PR consultancy and says she is all action – she gets irritated if people are slow to grasp concepts.
She says: “I’ve got everything Lord Sugar needs in a business partner. I’m passionate, dynamic and persistent – he’ll love that.”

Bushra Shaikh

Age: 34
Occupation: Owner, Clothing Company
Lives: Surrey
Key information: Shaikh is owner and designer of her own modest fashion label, creating luxury apparel for Muslim women. Inspired by Coco Chanel, she believes her skills and determination are all she needs to succeed in The Apprentice.
She says: “I’ve been raised not to be a pushover – in the words of Destiny’s Child, ‘I’m an independent woman’.”

Elizabeth McKenna

Age: 39
Occupation: Owner, Florist Chain
Lives: Nottinghamshire
Key information: McKenna describes herself as a “slightly bonkers country girl” and has a love of dogs and horses. She thinks her killer business instincts mean she’s good at making snap decisions.
She says: “My big feet are good for two things; getting me into trouble as they’re as big as my mouth and I constantly get them stuck in it, but… they also kick butt.”

Jade English

Age: 25
Occupation: PR & Marketing Manager
Lives: Manchester
Key information: In her role as PR and marketing manager, English creates content to advertise and enhance her clients’ presence on social media. She thinks her greatest business skills are her creativity and passion.
She says: “I’m extremely emotionally intelligent and able to get the best out of people. I am a brilliant negotiator and I’m not all talk – I put every weird idea into action and get results.”

Joanna Jarjue

Age: 23
Occupation: Digital Marketing Manager
Lives: Manchester
Key information: Jarjue creates multi-channel strategies to improve the digital footprint of companies. She considers being determined and a great talker to be her best qualities. She hates being patronised, but insists she will remain resilient on the show.
She says: “My demeanour can be related to the saying ‘Don’t wake a sleeping lion’ – if you underestimate me I might just bite.”

Michaela Wain

Age: 33
Occupation: Business Owner, Construction
Lives: Bolton
Key information: Wain works on the day-to-day operations of a construction magazine, alongside her role at several other companies in the building sector. Working as a woman in a very male-dominated industry, she says she despises men who talk down to her.
She says: “I have no patience for people who say stupid stuff, and I can’t cope with lazy people.”

Sarah Jayne Clark

Age: 25
Occupation: Owner, Clothing Company
Lives: Derbyshire
Key information: Clark owns a ladies’ fashion shop and believes her loyalty is one of her best qualities. She thinks it’s vital to be determined and strong-willed in business and says never letting her guard down will help her win.
She says: “I am the definition of a girl boss – I get things done and make things happen.”

Sarah Lynn

Age: 35
Occupation: Owner, Confectionery Company
Lives: London
Key information: Lynn, who created and leads a sweet gifting business that focuses on confectionery products for retailers and corporate clients, considers herself to be a “people person”. She doesn’t think she needs tactics to win The Apprentice and intends to just be herself.
She says: “Women are like tea bags – you don’t know how strong they are until you put them in hot water.”

Siobhan Smith

Age: 34
Occupation: Owner, Wedding Company
Lives: London
Key information: Smith owns and runs a wedding service company for couples in the UK who want to get married in Dubai. Her role model is Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, as “at the age of 65, he had knocked on over 1,000 doors over a period of two years trying to sell his recipe before getting his first yes, he never gave up on his dream”.
She says: “I fly aeroplanes, scuba dive, jump off cliffs, paraglide; I’m a blogger and a mother – as well as running my wedding planning business. A lot of people call me superwoman.”

Meet my next group of Apprentice candidates 4th October BBC-1 at 9pm pic.twitter.com/tZOEB24IzT

— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) September 26, 2017

And here are the nine male contestants…

Andrew Brady

Age: 26
Occupation: Project Engineer
Lives: Cheshire
Key information: Brady is a project engineer in the aerospace industry and cites his coal miner granddad as an inspiration. Brady admits he can’t always hold his tongue which can get him into trouble.
He says: “I don’t blow smoke up someone’s behind. If someone deserves credit, I will give them it.”

Charles Burns

Age: 24
Occupation: Management Consultant
Lives: Manchester
Key information: Burns has his fingers in many business pies, including a management consultancy, a watch trading company and a comparison website. He says as long as it is within the rules, he will stop at nothing to win.
He says: “When life throws you lemons, make and sell lemonade for a healthy profit.”

Danny Grant

Age: 32
Occupation: Owner, Online Retail Store
Lives: Kent
Key information: Grant warns that he is not “a doormat” and prides himself on being straightforward and honest. However he confesses that he can sometimes rub people up the wrong way “because the truth is hard to hear”.
He says: “I don’t get on with people with a stick up their arse.”

Elliot Van Emden

Age: 31
Occupation: Owner Legal Firm
Lives: London
Key information: Van Emden’s friends call him “Tory boy” as he used to work in David Cameron’s office before he became Prime Minister. He aims to band together with who he thinks are the stronger candidates, to secure his place in the final.
He says: “Sometimes to get to the top, you have to grease the pole behind you.”

Harrison Jones

Age: 27
Occupation: Sales Executive
Lives: Watford
Key information: Jones started his own landscaping business aged 19 and is currently working on a number of business ventures including property development, a healthy eating brand and a luxury streetwear brand.
He says: “I have a good work ethic and am always willing to work to full capacity to achieve my goals.”

James White

Age: 26
Occupation: Owner, Recruitment Firm
Lives: Birmingham
Key information: White runs his own IT recruitment business and considers his drive to be his best quality – he believes no one has ambition like him.
He used to have the nickname “Del Boy”, and enjoys white collar boxing as a hobby.
He says: “Intimidation is what motivates me. I want to be bigger and more successful than anyone else.”

Jeff Wan

Age: 28
Occupation: Business Analyst
Lives: London
Key information: Wan is a semi-pro hip-hop dancer and has performed at the O2 Arena. He hopes to build a legacy like Lord Sugar’s and has been a fan of The Apprentice since he was a teenager.
He says: “I bring character, charm and swagger to the table. Coupled with my professional and educational experience, I am sure I will be able to separate myself from the rest.”

Ross Fretten

Age: 29
Occupation: Digital Product Consultant
Lives: Essex
Key information: Fretten does not have a role model, preferring to trust his own judgement and forge his own path rather than following in the footsteps of others. He plans to sit back and let people “dig their own graves” before burying them in the boardroom.
He says: “I’m usually the smartest person in any room and I’ll make sure people know that.”

Sajan Shah

Age: 24
Occupation: Owner, Event Company
Lives: London
Key information: Alongside running his business supplying entertainment to events, Shah works at a health and safety consultancy as the head of HR. He claims that the majority of candidates will be using him as their role model after the series.
He says: “I am like a Chinese dish – potent, deliciously driven, full of flavour and I sure do sizzle.”