蜜芽传媒

The final five entrepreneurs come face to face with Lord Sugar’s most trusted advisors for the toughest interviews of their lives. Picking apart their business plans, familiar faces reveal naïve numbers, excessive exaggerations and preposterous plans.

Meet The Apprentice 2025’s Final Five...

Has being on The Apprentice lived up to your expectations of what it was going to be like?

I have a digital footprint to actually showcase the amount of hours I've put into building my business. You can't take that away from me.

I knew going in that it would be one of the most challenging things I'd ever done. And in that way it definitely did live up to my expectations. But I still couldn't have ever prepared for exactly how challenging it was. I think it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I wanted to be able to push myself and see how far I could go and see what I could achieve.

You have a massive social media following - how important is that to your business?

I'm an entrepreneur of this generation in terms of what I've done with social media and how I’ve used it to fuel my business. I want to be able to encourage other business owners to use this tool. It's free, you know? People always say, “I wanna start a business but I don't have any money.” Well I didn’t have much money either, but I did have my hands, I did have my phone and I did have my brain. And I think that that's what really made the difference. I think also circling back to the stereotypes and all of the sexism, the proof is in the pudding of how hard I've worked. I have a digital footprint to actually showcase the amount of hours I've put into building my business. You can't take that away from me. I like the fact that there's evidence of my hard work and there's evidence of my journey because it wasn't always what it is now.

So where does your interest in business come from?

I grew up from very humble beginnings. My mum and dad divorced when I was two and a half. I predominantly grew up with a single mother. She worked as a hairdresser. We lived in a council flat till I was eight with my auntie and my niece. We didn't have a lot. I realised very early on that if I was going to change my life, I would have to do it myself. Because if I had just followed what society told me to do, go to university, get a job, or try to please my mum, I would've never ever been in the position I am today. I think I was just scared. I was scared of living a life that I felt I didn't deserve and living a life that wouldn't fulfil me or pushed me and gave me grit. I think that sometimes being in situations which really feel like do or die pushes you and shows you how much you can do. I really genuinely feel like I've always had that grit and that hunger to do more. I think it's actually just out of fear of not having the life that I want or not being able to give back to my family. That's always pushed me.

Is there a specific moment that you faced that has pushed you to develop this resilience that you have now?

I think it's an accumulation of events. I had a very turbulent childhood and I found it really difficult in my teenage years. I remember the 15-year-old me thinking if I don't make it, I don't know what I'm going to do in life, I'm not going to have a good life. I always knew I wanted more and I could achieve more. I never felt like I was working at a hundred percent. I think that's what really pushed me. I can't really put my finger on a specific moment, there’s been so many, but I just remember not having any money. You look at your friends in school and they get pocket money to go out and eat food or buy clothes. I didn't have that. I had to work when I was 15. I would work after school, I'd finish and I would go into this catering hall, work there until sometimes 2am. I would get £30 cash in hand. But that cash would allow me to then go out and live a normal-ish teenage life. I didn't have the safety blanket ever of my mum's going to give me pocket money, which is how a lot of people are raised, you know?

You have an Asian convenience store - what was the thinking behind that?

So myself and my business partner Michael met when we worked in a sales job doing door to door for a few years, which was a really, really hard graft. We'd got to quite senior positions, but when Covid struck, we weren't able to actually knock on doors anymore. I also felt like it was slightly outdated and that I didn't want to put my next five years into that business specifically, but I'd learned so much about business and I felt like it would be failing if I went back into that job. I felt like I had to start a business. Michael and I work really well in a team together, so we thought let's open a business together. At first we opened a very small minimart and we didn't even know how much square foot we would need for the shop. We just wanted a shop front. And we thought, “Okay, let's just sell food that we love. We shop at Asian stores all the time. Let's create something that makes people comfortable to shop with us.” My business partner's Vietnamese, I'm South Asian, and so coming from a different background, I recognised that there was a gap in the market for a western audience who really had a lot of interest in South-east Asian food. So that inspired our love for Oreemart.

What would you say is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

I think having very reliable, reputable suppliers is fundamental in this industry. And as a very small fish in a big pond, essentially, we weren't really looked at or taken seriously by the big suppliers. And if you haven't got good suppliers, your margins aren't good and you're not able to compete at a competitive rate. Where there's bigger supermarkets who have millions of pounds of backing behind them, they're able to sell things at prices you're naturally not able to when you're a small business. That just puts you at such a risk of being known as a very expensive store. And so having suppliers take us seriously and actually allow us to become part of their customer base was our biggest obstacle. But I think growing our social media platforms really helped us because now we'll just copy and paste our TikTok link and we'll always get a reply back, but it wasn't always the case. So it just shows you the power of social media. It's a currency within itself.

Congratulations on making the final five, you were quite emotional when Lord Sugar announced the news, why?

I'm someone that if I have a goal, I'll make it happen. But I feel like this process has truly tested that...

I think it was because out of everyone I've lost the most tasks! So that was what got to me. I thought he was going to fire me because obviously at that point that was my eighth loss and compared to everyone else, I had the most losses. So even though I felt confident, like for example, in task 10, I actually thought I did well as an individual because I had the highest sales, and I kept level-headed and I contributed.

But then he was talking about the overall performance within the series and then I was scared that my losses would be the reason why I don't get any further. So, when he finally said that I'd got to the final five a tear did come out! I remember Amber-Rose and Chisola burst out crying. I was really happy with them. But I was like, “I'm not gonna cry like that.” And then when I finally got it, it was a release. Especially because I was in the boardroom so much, I got used to it. As the weeks went on, I was less tense because I got through it each time. But then the final five boardroom was really intense because that's when the most people get fired at once.

Did the process live up to your expectations?

There are two sides to it. So, doing the process is very surreal. I've been watching the show since I was seven, so to do all the aspects of it for real, like the tasks, you do such amazing things that you'll never do in your life. And then you see Lord Sugar in the boardroom and that part is very surreal. Going into it, because I psyched myself up a lot, I was like, “I need to have a strong, confident mindset and that's the only way I'll win this process.” In my head I was like, “I'm gonna win every single task.” And then the first task we lost, I was like, “OK, I’ve lost my desire to win everything.” I don’t regret anything in the process but yeah, I didn't expect the amount of losses I had!

Academically you’re very bright and you had a successful corporate career - why give that all up for a pizza business?

Yeah, so I found the corporate world to not be fulfilling. I'm someone who's very driven. Growing up, I always wanted to do corporate because I was raised that way. My parents always wanted me to be a doctor or go into a corporate job, those were the pathways for me. And I was really academic in school, so I always thought I had to go into corporate, especially because I studied economics and politics. I got a lot of criticism when I left but I've always wanted my own business. So, whether I stayed in corporate for two years, 10 years, 15 years, I always knew I wanted my own business because what you put into it is what you get out of it. That's the part of business that I like the most. I enjoy being my own boss. So I really liked the aspect of entrepreneurship. And then with the pizza business, I actually started it during Covid, but when I started it, I always thought of it initially as a side hustle. I thought I could have a fun few months but I quickly realised if I wanted to make this into a proper business and make a lot of money, I have to focus on it. You can't just put it on the side and have a corporate career and a pizza a business. So that's why I took the leap of faith to give it my all. And that's actually when I applied to The Apprentice.

What was the toughest part of the process up until you made the final five?

The whole process is tough, when they say it's the toughest process out there, it definitely is. And I feel like when viewers watch on TV, they don't really appreciate the amount of work that goes into it. You have the task and you're so tired and then you go home but you're still with the same people that you spent the day with and then the next day you wake up at 3am and you go again. So that was definitely the most challenging part of it. Also, you’re restricted in a way of what you can do because within tasks whatever you do, you have to create it. So obviously it's not like the sky's the limit. You can’t do whatever you want, you have restrictions so how do you make it happen? How do you make it work? And that's like the mental challenge of it.

You weren’t afraid to take on the project manager role, especially in the first two tasks - what was the thinking behind that?

My mindset going into the process was always “I'm gonna win this” and I wanted to show Lord Sugar that. If I'm being honest, it wasn't my plan to be PM the first two tasks. I only took that on in the first task because no one else wanted to do it. In that moment I thought to myself, “What would Lord Sugar's business partner do? They would step up.” I think leadership is a quality that's very important to me in general. I knew that week I had to step up and then having the loss, I am competitive, and I do want to win. So I felt like I wanted to prove that I could do it. I guess most candidates probably would've waited a bit but I'm someone who's very strong minded, so I wanted to make sure that I got the opportunity when it came again.

Did you learn anything about yourself throughout this process?

Yeah, I learned a lot, so many things. I didn't actually realise how resilient I was as a person. I'm someone that if I have a goal, I'll make it happen. But I feel like this process has truly tested that, especially one loss after another and still putting myself forward for PM. I don't care, I'm still going to do it. I think I surprised myself in a way that I don't let anyone impact me. And that part I didn't realise as much. Obviously this process does bring out all your flaws as well. But I think that's what's so great about the process is that it tests you to your limits. You just find out so much about you as a person, how you run a business, how you behave with other people that you wouldn't really get to work with in your day-to-day life.

How does it feel to be one of the last five candidates standing in the competition?

It doesn't matter what your background is... if you put your all into something, the results will speak for themselves.

Honestly just crazy! It's so surreal. I watched the show growing up, it's something that I would say I've always aspired to get to. But just an amazing achievement and I think my younger self would be very proud of me right now. I’m feeling grateful, blessed, but also happy to have been able to have kept my cool to be able to make it this far.

When Lord Sugar told you you’d made his final five, you were very tearful - why?

I think task 10 was really challenging. I was project manager, but not just that there were only three of us on our team, so I felt like we were the underdogs and we were on the back foot. I think being told that we won the task, and I had made it into the final five, it was a feeling like I'd achieved one of my life goals. But also I think it was a feeling of it doesn't matter what your background is, where you've come from, what your journey has been like, if you put your all into something, the results will speak for themselves. One of the reasons why I got so emotional is I thought we had lost, I thought there's no way that the three of us as a team have managed to beat the others, so I was honestly pleasantly surprised. I think all of those feelings just overwhelmed me in that moment and thinking of my journey to get there.

Has the process lived up to your expectations?

It was an incredible experience as a whole. There were so many highs. Definitely some lows, lots of ups, downs, twists and turns as well. But I think that's what makes the whole experience so exhilarating. You never really know what's coming around the corner, so it keeps you on your toes constantly. I felt like I was constantly ready for what was coming next, but also thinking, “Is it gonna be something to really get my teeth into, is it gonna be something that I feel really confident in? Am I gonna put myself up for Project Manager?” I think it did live up to my expectations, but it was a lot harder than what I thought it was going to be.

Do you think your background in nursing has helped you in business?

Yeah, I definitely think it's helped me in terms of handling pressure. I definitely stay calm in stressful situations. When I was a nurse, especially in A&E, you come in one day and you're resuscitating a child who’s not breathing. So you are having to deal with the parents, who are obviously distraught, but also having to deal with a pressured situation. And you've got to stay calm. I think it's helped me, it's shaped me in terms of being able to remain calm under pressure, but also be adaptable. I think one of the skills that you learn as a nurse is that sometimes things aren't going to work. Let's say you need to cannulate a child under pressure, it's not working. Okay, we've got to pivot, we've got to try something different. It's knowing that there’s always time pressure and you adapt quickly, swiftly, calmly, and approach these different scenarios with a cool head.

What was the toughest part of the process?

I would probably say two things. Not being able to communicate with my core friends and family members on a regular basis. I think you don't even realise sometimes how much you rely on them to be able to just decompress after a day. Not having them as my safe space to be able to do that was really challenging. And then just not knowing what was going to come up in each task. I genuinely felt so scared each time we would be going into a new task, not knowing what Lord Sugar was going to say, my palms were sweaty. I could feel my heart beating because I would just be like, “Oh my gosh, what's coming up? Like what is he gonna say? Is it something that I'm gonna be good at? Is it something that my skills will fit right into? How am I gonna make my mark?” I wanted to be able to stay in the process so all these things were going through my head.

Did you learn anything about yourself through the process?

I learned a lot about myself. I learned how important it is to be able to quickly adapt and pivot, especially when things aren't necessarily working. There's so many curve balls and just different obstacles that come your way throughout the process. And I think you can apply this to any aspect of your life, being able to recognise when to switch and when to not hold onto something for too long or when to not stay in something for too long. Its about allowing those decisions to make but not break you. They can make you if you learn from them but you can’t let them break you.

What’s it been like being a candidate on The Apprentice?

I don't want them [my family] to ever have to worry about anything... And if that means I've gotta work long days and nights, so be it.

It's all good. It's been weird. I've been noticed a few times now on the streets, a few selfies with people, which takes some getting used to. Like, when we went out the other day for my birthday and the table next to us was whispering about us. And I knew that was the reason why. I just wanted them to say like, “Oh, you’re the guy from The Apprentice”, rather than whisper. They eventually did. When I went to the toilet, they asked my wife, “Is he from The Apprentice?” She was like, “Yeah”, and then we had a good conversation about it.

How does it feel to make the final five?

So to make the final five is like the pinnacle. It’s the best thing, I think, because it’s like when you watch I’m A Celebrity, everyone wants to make it to the cyclone. This is the comparison to that. For every Apprentice candidate, that's the level they want to get to. They want to make it to the final five.

Is there a moment that stands out for you?

I think the most standout point for me about the whole process, and this was probably one of my best moments, was early on, in task one when we went away. That’s where I probably struggled the most is when we was away abroad. When we went to Turkey and we went to Austria, I felt like I really struggled because I was away from my family. But on the first task, because I knew I didn't sell any tickets I knew I was getting brought back to the boardroom. I knew I got off to such a bad start. And it's the first one, no one wants to get fired. The pressure was on me. I came back to the house and it erupted when I walked back through the door, the crew said they have never had a reaction like that. That was the biggest reaction ever. It changed me. That was a massive thing for me. It meant a lot. And then I just went into the next task feeling completely different. It was the turning point for me. I just felt that the only way was up after that.

You are the only father in the show this year, how much are the kids your driving force?

Yeah, that's the reason I'm doing what I do, it is for them. I was the only parent in the whole process. None of the other candidates had kids and there was no one to relate to. So I was the only one missing my family, my kids and my wife. But yeah, everything I do is for them. That's the reason I work as hard as I do. I don't want them to ever have to worry about anything. I just wanna give them the best life possible. And if that means I've gotta work long days and nights, so be it.

How did you get into the air conditioning business?

So originally I wanted to do electrics, I wanted to be an electrician. I wanted to get a trade. I think my parents drummed it into me from a young age, you get a trade, you’ve got work forever. I didn't know what trade I wanted to do. I've done a bit of plumbing, I've done electrics. I thought electrics is a bit more me, it's less dirty. And then I applied for a job and the boss there said, “Dean, why don't you do air conditioning?” So I sort of fell into it. I went into it and then saw how much money you could be making from it and all that side of things. And I got so good at it. And that's when I thought, “You know what? I'm gonna stick at this.” So I've done the apprenticeship, passed all that, become an engineer, taught a few apprentices myself. At the time people thought I was crazy because I was on a good salary, in a good job and I wanted to jack it all in and go out on my own. And this was during the pandemic where businesses weren't starting up and everything was going wrong for a lot of people. I made the gamble. I made the jump and me and my business partner, we quit our jobs and we started up on our own. I had two newborns at home and it was a massive risk. And we just worked and worked and worked. It got to a point where it's been a good business.

It has been successful so why then take on a process like this?

So I've got the business to a point where I think it's hard for me to take it to the next level. I've never had any business training in my life. Everything that I've done, I've learned myself. I've just gone out and tried it. I've never been to university, I've never studied anything to do with business. So for me to now get this to the next level, I think to have someone like Lord Sugar guide me through the next stage would be massive. It's not so much the money that I've entered the process for because the business does well, we've got money in the bank. It's more the guidance, it’s the mentoring over the money, for me, that’s what I care about.

Did you learn anything about yourself during this process?

I learned how emotional I can be, which was new to me! I felt like it broke down a few barriers. I felt like I was tested in ways that I've never been tested before. To come up with an idea or come up with a logo or come up with a slogan and you’ve got to think on your feet. I've never had to do that. I felt like I was quite good at it. I must have been if I got that far, you know? And I probably don't give myself credit for the things that I've done.

You've been a fan of this series since you were seven. So how does it feel to be in the final five?

I wasn't going in there to even get to the final five, I鈥檓 going in to win.

It's not surprising! Going in I wasn't going in there to even get to the final five, I’m going in to win. So I expected this from the minute I applied to be on the show, to be honest.

Where does that confidence come from?

I think you always have to believe you can do whatever it is you're going into or else what's the point of starting? You know, I went in having watched the show for so many years, I knew the format, I knew what worked, what didn't work. I understood out the gate that the loudest candidate isn't always the most intelligent candidate. Sometimes you have to play the field and suss everything out. And as the process went on, I became more confident, I became more aware of what Lord Sugar was looking for in a candidate. I knew I'd make the final five, without a doubt.

Being the youngest candidate this series, do you think that made a difference, that maybe you were underestimated?

All you have to do is watch episode two to see that straight away. I was an expert in the field and I wasn't chosen, what the reason is for that, you know, is open to interpretation, I guess. But I believe from day one I was underestimated. People just saw a young, naive, Irish kid with not a clue as to what he was doing. I like being the underdog. If people underestimate you, they're focusing on other things. They're not watching you coming through and growing. So yes, without a doubt, I think I was underestimated. There was a website where they were voting for who would be fired first. I was number one. I love when people doubt me because it gives me that fire in my belly to go and prove them all wrong.

You’re self taught in 3D animation, how did you get into that field?

The simple answer is, I was broke! I guess, for me, I was in a situation where I'd left a job in London with the intention that I never wanted to work for someone ever again. I want to have my own business and I want to go all in on that. So out of necessity, I had to make something work and I couldn't wait four years and not earn and maybe get a loan. I had to figure it out. I'm a big believer in the 80/20 rule, that 20% of input accounts for about 80% of the final result. So I thought if I can learn the key things I need to learn to be able to service clients and get paid, let me learn that. So I went on YouTube, and you know what, it's free. For the modern age, YouTube can act as your online university. There's an unlimited array of topics and things you can learn if you actually want to educate yourself. It is, in my opinion, the most powerful resource on the planet right now.

You’ve had some great success in your business, what has that taught you?

I think the first thing it's taught me is that I can be independent when it comes to my finances. You don't have to always rely on an employer. It's a weird feeling when you realise I've made X amount this month, I've made that happen. That in itself, regardless of the amount, is an amazing feeling. So proving to myself that it’s possible. I think also proving that it doesn't matter how new you are to an industry, if you can convey an idea, people will buy from you. My first client, I got it through a friend, was Jagermeister. You know, that shouldn't happen. I worked at CRAFTD, who are one of the fastest growing men's jewellery brands in the world, that should not have happened. But I showed them what I could do. They believed in my vision, they believed in me. And that's all you need sometimes.

So you’ve got those brands and you are on a bit of a momentum, why did you feel the need to come into this process?

Lord Sugar has been a massive inspiration of mine. Look, although I might feel like I have all the answers, I don't. And I think at my age, it's one of those periods where learning is more important than earning. You need to get in as much information as you can when you don't have the responsibilities, you don't have kids, you don't have anything, spend as much time, every penny you make, learn more. And who better to learn from than one of the most successful businessmen in the entire United Kingdom? So, although the £250,000 is an amazing influx of cash into your business. I think the mentorship you receive from Lord Sugar is worth so much more than any amount of money he could ever give you.

Did you learn anything about yourself during this process?

I learned a lot of things. When I went into the process I wouldn’t have said I was one of the strongest public speakers. But when it came to any presentations, I was always the first in line to do it. I'd never done public speaking in my life. I was a really shy kid, to be honest. So then to come into something like this and you're the public speaking guy, to do that with a group of entrepreneurs and businesspeople and be told you are actually really good at this as well, was really cool. I actually can work well with other people and learning new things. I mean, when are you going be out negotiating in public for a horseshoe? That’s never going to happen in my line of work. But being able to go out and smash it and prove to yourself that you can't actually do it shows that, you know, maybe I am actually a well-rounded entrepreneur.

Read more from about the final five and their Apprentice experience here.

Watch the Interviews at 9pm, Thursday 10th April on 蜜芽传媒 One and iPlayer.