Thursday 15 February 2024 The BBC鈥檚 reality TV staple The Apprentice is back on our screens again for its 18th season, and eagle-eyed alumni might spot a couple of familiar faces: Dr Paul Midha (GSAL12) and Rachel Woolford (GSAL14). Dr Paul, principal dentist and co-owner of in Leeds and Pudsey, graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2019, and was highly commended at the Private Dentistry Awards in the Best Young Dentist category in 2023. Since qualifying, Paul has 鈥渋nvested every resource鈥� into his first dental practice – to the point where he was left with just 拢100 in his account. But his dedication paid off – his business has grown to over five times its initial value. As an Apprentice hopeful, Paul is hoping to get Lord Sugar鈥檚 attention and win 拢250,000 of investment. And if all else fails, he has a secret skill to fall back on: body popping. It鈥檚 worked before: Paul secured a Britain鈥檚 Got Talent audition in his younger years, and a role in a Disney TV show as a result of his jaw-dropping abilities. Rachel is the founder and owner of boutique fitness brand , the name reflecting the fact that she鈥檚 still based close to home in her native Yorkshire. With studios in Harrogate and Leeds, her interest in business started young. At seven, she went missing – only for her worried mum to find she鈥檇 set up a roadside stall to hawk her teddies. Fittingly for an Apprentice, Rachael graduated with a degree in economics and management from Newcastle University, and set up North during Covid. Even with restrictions in place, customers flocked to the studio for its personalised, sociable approach to fitness and its ultra-inclusive feel – an ethos which continues today. Paul and Rachel join 16 other candidates hoping for a cash injection from Lord Sugar, including a music producer and a pie company owner. But first they鈥檒l need to ride the inevitable ups and downs in a show that鈥檚 famous for throwing in a surprise or two – and the occasional 鈥榲illain edit鈥� – into the mix. See how Paul and Rachel get on – The Apprentice airs every Thursday at 9pm on BBC1. Watch聽. Images: BBC Pictures Alumni
