The Apprentice season 20 has just crowned its winner, with a fan-favourite candidate coming out on top and going on to fulfil her business dream. After twelve weeks, the ultimate business challenge saw cosmetic business owner Karishma Vijay secure Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment for her company.
Dubbed a “queen” by fans on social media, Karishma bested runner-up Pascha Myhill in a final task that required both candidates to develop a marketing campaign for their respective business ideas.
The two had a little help from this season’s fired candidates to pitch their campaigns to Lord Sugar, a panel of industry experts and familiar faces from the show’s history, including Margaret Mountford, Nick Hewer, Dr Leah Totton, Ricky Martin and Dean Franklin.
Matt Frost//BBC
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Following the pitching session, Karishma and Pascha presented their ideas directly to Lord Sugar in the boardroom. There, each argued why they were the best choice as a business partner. Ultimately, it was Karishma who convinced the businessman to invest in her skincare company.
“I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m going to be calling Lord Sugar every other day, saying, ‘What do I do now? I don’t know what I’m doing’,” she said.
“Because when I was doing it by myself, I was going at my own pace. Now, there’s a bit more pressure, because I have to really convince him that he made the right decision to have picked me.
“I feel like I will never get over this experience. Nothing in my life will ever compare. I just got engaged – so what?!”
BBC
Fans of the show took to Instagram to throw their support behind Karishma, as one person called her “the best candidate in the last decade by far” while offering their congratulations.
“Now that’s what you call a business woman,” someone else commented, while a third viewer wrote: “Worthy winner… Absolutely aced it.”
Another fan of The Apprentice hoped for a last-minute surprise, writing: “Thought there might have been a twist for a change at the end to hire both! Anyway both were deserving, well done.”
The Apprentice airs on BBC One on Thursdays. Spin-off The Apprentice: Unfinished Business airs on BBC Two after the main show.
Read more The Apprentice news on our dedicated homepage
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.Â
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