‘IT’S YEAR OF THE WOMAN’ FOR FINAL APPRENTICES
TWO young women are challenging stereotypes of race and gender in the business world as they fight for success on The Apprentice tonight. The pair stand on the verge of a life-changing investment from Lord Sugar in what they have called the “year of the northern woman”.
Sian Gabbidon and Camilla Ainsworth will battle it out for a £250,000 boost for their brand.
Swimwear entrepreneur Gabbidon, from Leeds, has said that race and gender do not matter in an arena governed by business acumen.
Lancashire nut milk brand owner Ainsworth said: “We’re both northern. We’re both female. I’m 22 and Sian is 25. It’s definitely the year of the woman.”
Gabbidon added: “It’s the year of the northern woman. I think that all CAMILLA AINSWORTH Camilla is 22 years old - one of the younger candidates on the show this year.
She is the founder of gourmet nut milk brand M+LKPLUS, which produces a range of dairy-free flavoured almond and cashew milks.
Camilla said that she began the business after discovering while this stuff about gender, race and anything else – it doesn’t matter.
“Everybody has the same opportunities if they’ve got that business acumen.”
To make it to the final, the pair, selected from thousands of original applicants, have seen 16 rival candidates fired.
Both women built their brands from the ground up, and are hoping for an investment to enlarge their burgeoning businesses.
Gabbidon said the greatest challenge of the show was the lack of time to make the most important decisions.
The pair said being away from working in Australia she was dairy intolerant.
“At the moment I’m selling it from an external kitchen on the other side of my house and selling to local shops,’ she said.
“I’m very driven and I’ve come up with this idea all by myself. I want to show you what I can do.”
Camilla also claims to be a friends and family during filming added to the strain.
Both agreed that with Lord Sugar “what you see is what you get”, and that he is incredibly serious about his investment.
Gabbidon said: “How you see him is how he is in real life. He’s got a really dry sense of humour, I had to stifle a laugh a few times in the boardroom.”
Ainsworth added: “He is serious and just an all-round professional and expert.”
Both Gabbidon and Ainsworth are hoping they can make it over the final hurdle, but agreed that the process has been formative even without a cash prize.
The prize, both contestants said, is “the chance of a lifetime”.
The Apprentice Final tonight at 9pm on BBC1. is on daredevil and loves to try new things – from skydiving to swimming with sharks.
She prides herself on her people skills but admits she can sometimes be too open and overshare. SIAN GABBIDON Sian is 25 years old and is the founder of swimwear fashion brand Sian Marie. She counts celebrities and celebrity stylists among her clients, with the likes of Love Island’s Kaz Crossley and Hayley Hughes, and Towie’s Danielle Armstrong and Kate Wright having all been seen in her swimwear.
As well as swimsuits and bikinis, her website also features a range of other items of clothing including cover-ups and jumpsuits. She identifies with Coco Chanel as a role model in business, as she “came from nothing and worked her way to the top”.
She believes she has been brought up to win, previously saying: “I bring both the passion and the fire – in the boardroom, I will be merciless.”