Rachel Woolford The Apprentice: Leeds entrepreneur becomes Lord Sugar's new business partner

The final episode of Series 18 aired tonight (April 18) on BBC One and saw Rachel Woolford, of Leeds, and Phil Turner, of Bognor Regis, battle it out to win Lord Sugar’s approval and a £250,000 investment into their businesses. 

Rachel, who lives in Shadwell, founded boutique gym North Studio in Roundhay in 2020. She later opened a second site in Harrogate and went on The Apprentice to expand her business across the north. 

The gruelling process, which saw 18 entrepreneurs whittled down to two, saw the contestants take on numerous challenges set to help Lord Sugar determine who could be his next business partner. 

This included a range of tasks, from creating virtual escape rooms to vegan cheese, before presenting the ideas to Lord Sugar and industry experts. 

Rachel becomes the 19th candidate to win the BBC reality programme since it launched in 2005 after two competitors shared the crown in 2017. After she was declared the winner during Thursday’s finale, she said landing the investment was “something beyond my wildest dreams”.

In the final episode, Rachel and Phil were tasked with bringing their original pitches to life by presenting a new brand, logo, billboard and metaverse. They were aided by contestants who were eliminated earlier in the series. 

The Leeds entrepreneur chose recruitment consultant Flo Edwards, fitness coach Sam Saadet, filmmaker Steve Darken, music and wellness entrepreneur Tre Lowe and yoga teacher Maura Rath to bring her brand alive.

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Rachel, who said she would use the investment to open five new premium studios across the north over a five-year period, settled on Studio Build as the name for her new business. 

Meanwhile, she virtually designed the new space with three rooms, including one for reformer Pilates and another for spin classes. 

She said she wanted the business to make exercise fun and “not just this mundane thing you have to do”, with a real emphasis on how exercise makes you feel rather than look. 

There was some backlash to the design of the logo, which Rachel admitted was not her strongest asset, but the passion she had for the business shone through effortlessly. 

In a closing statement made to Lord Sugar, the entrepreneur said: "When I started up my first branch, I had zero client base.

“I built it up organically. We have done the same at Harrogate. And as we move forward, opening further branches, I'll go with the same ethos we have always gone with. 

“Having that open environment with the staff, making sure they are fully on-board with what our core values are." 

After the two finalists presented their final pitches to Lord Sugar, the business magnate came to his decision.

He said: “This is a very tough decision, I’ve got to say because I’ve got two very, very credible people in front of me.

“I’ve got Rachel who claims she’s making money and that she’s going to make even more when she gets the second gym up and running – but gyms are, with all due respect, two-a-penny.

“Specialist pies are not and it’s a market that I’m very interested in, but how can I be interested in it if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.

“There’s a loss-making business at the moment which you tell me is going to turn around and be okay, and that’s my dilemma.”

Lord Sugar continued: “It’s very, very hard for me. I’m having trouble here. But my gut feeling is telling me that, Rachel, you’re going to be my business partner.”

The series started with 18 hopeful candidates and a first task which saw them sent to the Scottish Highlands, to host a corporate retreat.

Over the course of 12 weeks, the candidates were whittled down to the final two through competing in tense challenges, including one which saw them tasked with launching a new team for Formula-E, a motorsport championship for electric cars.

Team Nexus secured a record-breaking £38.7 million in sponsorship from the event, smashing the show’s previously held largest winning sales record of £1.2 million after Woolford spearheaded negotiations.

All episodes of The Apprentice series 18 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.