The Apprentice winner Rachel Woolford plans to open gym in Newcastle after BBC win

She's just won The Apprentice and Rachel Woolford has big plans to open a gym in the Newcastle area, having studied at university in the city, seven years before winning the show and securing a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar.

On Thursday night, millions tuned into BBC One as former Economic and Business Development student turned fitness entrepreneur Rachel, 28, went head to head with fellow candidate Phil Turner in the final, with them, joined by fired contestants as they made their final pitch to the business mogul in a bid to get him to go into business with them.

Going into The Apprentice finale, it was pie shop owner Phil who was the narrow favourite with bookies, but in the end, it was Rachel, owner of already established gym North Studio, who impressed enough to secure the victory, just a year after Lord Sugar also ploughed a six figure sum into 2023 champion Marnie Swindells' boxing enterprises.

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In her pitch about how she planned to expand her business with Lord Sugar's investment, Rachel outlined her ambitions to five gyms in “bustling locations” in the north, including York, Manchester and Newcastle.

Gearing up to Rachel, who graduated from Newcastle University in 2017, as his winner, Lord Sugar summarised: "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.”

Reaching his conclusion, Lord Sugar added: "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."