All The Apprentice winners who dumped Lord Sugar after making his £250,000 investment – and they've carried on with VERY mixed success

For many start-up businesses, winning The Apprentice can be the pinnacle of success, with the chance to secure a £250,000 investment Lord Sugar.

When the show started in 2005, the winners got a £100,000-a-year job at one of Lord Sugar's companies.

But things turned sour when the 2010 winner Stella English tried to sue Lord Sugar for wrongful dismissaland the following year the prize was changed to a sum of £250,000, which was invested by Sugar in the winner's own business.

And while some continued their relationship with Lord Sugar for many years, others chose to walk away from the investment for various reasons.

As the new series of The Apprentice kicks off with a new group of business hopefuls, MailOnline looks at the winners who have since said goodbye to Lord Sugar…

Joseph Valente – Series 11 (2015)

Joseph was forced to sell his boiler installation business for an undisclosed sum in 2020 after claims the company owed creditors almost £2 million

Just two years after Lord Sugar secured a six-figure investment for his plumbing business, Joseph Valente decided to part ways with him.

Joseph announced that he would take full control of ImpraGas, but they still ended their partnership on friendly terms.

Lord Sugar said at the time: 'I will still be ready to provide any assistance and advice required. I wish Joseph and ImpraGas all the best for the future and will follow their progress with great affection.”

The Apprentice boss relinquished his stake in the company, and Joseph acquired his shareholding and took full control of the company.

Joseph added: “I am so grateful for everything Lord Sugar has done for me and I couldn't have asked for a better partner in the early stages of my business career.

'I owe him a lot. I am confident that the winning business model we have created together will allow me to continue to grow the company successfully.”

Joseph was forced to sell his boiler installation business for an undisclosed sum in 2020 after the company owed almost £2 million to creditors.

Shell company VBH Assets, also co-owned by Joseph, subsequently went into voluntary liquidation and owed £1.9 million to creditors.

Joseph has previously described his struggles with depression and the public criticism he faced after his company went bankrupt.

The star, who became a father in 2021, told The Mirror: 'It hit me really hard, I was very depressed for a few months, and then one day I woke up and thought, 'There's no way I can let it happen.' this destroys me.

“I had to rebuild my credibility and my reputation.”

Since then, Joseph has started a course on supporting new and existing businesses and how to grow them, and they have gone from strength to strength.

Alana Spencer – Series 12 (2016)

Alana Spencer secured the huge investment from Lord Sugar in 2016 to support her baking business Ridiculably Rich. Three years later she bought back his shares

Alana secured the huge investment from Lord Sugar to support her baking business Ridiculably Rich.

She previously revealed that her turnover has increased from £100,000 to £450,000 in a year thanks to winning The Apprentice.

Three years after her win, Alana bought back Lord Sugar's shares and in 2019 she became the sole owner and director of the company.

She wrote on social media: “A while ago I had the amazing opportunity to purchase Lord Sugar from Ridiculably Rich and take back full control of my company,” she explained on social media.

“It's been an exciting, crazy, scary few months as the final details are agreed and sorted out, but something I'm so grateful for.”

She added: “Working with Lord Sugar has been an incredible experience and I have learned so much in such a short time. I'm so grateful for his time on Alana's Ridiculably Rich.”

Lord Sugar wished her the best of luck and said, “I will follow Alana's progress with great affection.”

James White and Sarah Lynn – Series 13 (2017)

James White and Sarah Lynn both received Lord Sugar's award for a surprise twist in 2016, and both had mixed success

During the 13th series of The Apprentice, Lord Sugar made the surprising decision to award his investment to two finalists.

He invested £500,000 that year, half of which went to James's IT recruitment agency and the other half to Sarah's confectionery business.

Sarah's personalized confectionery business, Sweets in the City, has gone from strength to strength since Lord Sugar joined as a partner.

The brand is now available in Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.

James' business has had a much tough road, and he is said to have suffered a series of 'unfortunate setbacks', losing £30,000 in the first six months of his IT recruitment business, Right Time Recruitment.

In December 2020, it was revealed that James and Lord Sugar had split, but he was still able to keep the money he received from the investment.

“I wish James all the best for the future and will follow his progress with interest,” Lord Sugar said in a statement.

THE STUDENT 2024: MEET THE CANDIDATES

Amina Khan

Occupation: Pharmacist and entrepreneur

Place: Ilford

Amina has been a qualified pharmacist for over ten years and in that time she has built a successful skin care and supplement business.

Flo Edwards

Occupation: Recruitment Consultant

Place: London

Flo revealed she had started her own consultancy, leaving her ready to take on Lord Sugar.

Foluso Falade

Occupation: Project Manager

Place: Manchester

Foluso bills herself as the 'Mary Poppins of business' and revealed her aim is to run the first social enterprise to secure Lord Sugar's investment.

Maura Rath

Occupation: Owner, yoga company

Place: Wexford

Maura incorporates the advantage of being a yoga teacher into her appearance.

Noor Bouziane

Occupation: Owner, Jewelry Company

Place: Liverpool

Ambitious premium jewelry company owner Noor claimed that she will generate a wealth of money for Lord Sugar thanks to the uniqueness of her business.

Onyeka Nweze

Occupation: Chartered Company Secretary

Place: London

Onyeka revealed that her plan will be Lord Sugar's first technology business investment in eighteen series.

Rachel Woolford

Occupation: Owner of boutique fitness studio

Place: Leeds

Rachel has been business-minded from a very young age and has extensive experience in managing her work independently. In addition to her hard work in the office, she also shares her fitness successes on social media, including running the New York Marathon in 2019.

Raj Chohan

Occupation: Mortgage broker

Place: Leamington Spa

Raj admits that even though she's a creep, she's determined to have fun while working, as illustrated on her fun Instagram account. As a self-proclaimed 'dog with a bone', she wants to make a gap in the market in achieving her goals and will do whatever it takes for success.

Sam Saadet

Occupation: Pre- and postnatal fitness coach

Place: Essex

Sam revealed that her friends call her a real Del Boy because of her “part-wheeler dealer” and her eye for a bargain. She is an online fitness coach with a focus on mothers and expectant mothers and hopes to prove her business brains to Lord Sugar.

Dr. Asif Munaf

Occupation: Owner, Wellness Brand

Place: Sheffield

Asif boldly describes himself as 'Beauty, Brains, Body and Business' on his CV. The qualified doctor's business plan focuses on vitamins and supplements.

Jack Davis

Occupation: Director of Recruitment

Place: Bristol

In addition to his work as a recruitment director, Jack also acts as a food critic, making him ready for challenges with diverse knowledge and skills.

Oliver Medforth

Occupation: Sales Director

Place: Yorkshire

Oliver's background in market selling means he is looking forward to familiar sales tasks. He is often seen plugging his wares on social media, especially his gin range.

Paul Bowen

Occupation: Director Pie Company

Place: Lancashire

As one of two cake company experts taking part in the trial, Paul takes pride in serving major clients such as Manchester City Football Club.

Dr. Paul Midha

Occupation: Owner Dental Group

Place: Leeds

Paul started his practice using whatever resources he had. Paul is used to learning extensively through his studies as a dentist and is convinced of Lord Sugar's investment and everything he can teach him about the business world.

Phil Turner

Occupation: Owner Pie Company

Place: Bognor Regis

Phil was named 'Supreme Pie Champion' in 2020 for his family pie business, which dates back to the 1930s. He hopes to prove himself to Lord Sugar and start making real money for him.

Steve Dark

Occupation: Management advisor

Place: London

Steve claims he shares Lord Sugar's sharp mind and sense of humor. As an advisor to 'some of the largest companies in the world', he is ready to take on the boardroom.

Tre Lowe

Occupation: Music and wellness entrepreneur

Place: London

Tre has had his previous taste of fame, including in the British garage band called Architechs. His Instagram account is a who's who of the showbiz world, including photos with Simon Cowell and Emily Ratajkowski.

Virdi Singh Mazaria

Occupation: Music producer

Place: Leicester

DJ Virdi wants to introduce Lord Sugar to the world he has yet to invest in: music. His life is certainly filled with luxury as he regularly shares photos on flash vacations and in front of expensive cars.