The Apprentice 2023: The Leeds candidates to have appeared on BBC One show and where they are now

Shannon Martin is starring in the new series of BBC’s The Apprentice – hoping to come away with a £250,000 investment. Ahead of the next episode on Thursday night, we take a look at every Leeds candidate to have appeared on the show. Here’s how they got on and where they are now.

Paul Tulip

Paul Tulip was living in Leeds when he appeared on series two of The Apprentice. During his time on the show, he won seven out of the 10 tasks and made it to the interviews. Paul didn’t make it to the final – he came under fire for his arrogance and immaturity. In 2009, Paul moved to Australia with his wife and two children and in August 2020 he started his own podcast, Tulip Talks.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was a car salesman originally from Leeds. During the first episode of series three, Andrew was team leader and was criticised for poor leadership skills – becoming the first candidate to be fired. Andrew is a keen poker player, and soon made his way back to the hobby after his defeat.

Shibby Robati

Qualified surgeon and business owner Shibby Robati was fired as project manager in episode three, series six, after being slammed for flawed leadership, poor communications skills and granting his client an unjustified compensation. In a gobsmacking quote, Shibby, who was born and raised in Leeds, jokingly teased about keeping his team mates in line saying he would “smack your bums if I have to”.

Alex Epstein

Alex Epstein appeared in series six. He was previously the head of communications for a Leeds company and was awarded 10 A*s at GCSE. However, before applying to The Apprentice he lost his job in the reccession. The self-described “unconventional” Alex was in the boardroom twice, before being fired in episode six as project manager for his defective campaign and abysmal leadership skills.

Leon Doyle

Leon Doyle lived in Leeds and founded the business The Master Menu. He was educated at two independent schools and attended The University of Huddersfield. Appearing in series seven, after five consecutive wins, he was fired in episode eight as he was criticised for lack of sales and failing to exhibit the same level of entrepreneurial zeal as his teammates. In 2019, Leon founded smartplug company WIFIPLUG, which has partnered with companies such as Screwfix.

Sian Gabbidon

Sian Gabbidon was the winner of series 14, becoming Lord Sugar’s business partner and gaining the £250,000 investment. The owner of the then swimsuit company, Sian Marie, she studied at a Catholic school in Leeds. She went on to earn a degree in fashion design, with a focus on marketing and production from the University of Huddersfield. Since leaving the show, her swimsuit company has been rebranded as a lounge range company, SNME, and her range is stocked in supermarket Asda.

Harpeet Kaur

Harpreet Kaur, who won Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment in the latest series of the show, owns Oh So Yum! dessert parlours in Leeds White Rose shopping centre and Huddersfield. She is continuing to grow her business and has recently launched a range in Selfridges.