06-03-2025
The Apprentice winner's brutal takedown of Dr Jana Denzel quitting BBC show
The Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells has pulled no punches sharing her thoughts about Dr Jana Denzel quitting the BBC show in conversation with Yahoo.
Cosmetic Harley Street dentist Dr Denzel resigned from this year's series in dramatic scenes, telling Yahoo that what Lord Sugar said made him leave.
Now Swindells — who is Lord Sugar's business partner for Bronx Boxing Club after winning The Apprentice in 2023 — told Yahoo UK: "The process [on The Apprentice] is definitely not for the faint-hearted, or the weak-minded. So I think you go into it knowing what to expect.
"If you watched any episode of The Apprentice, you know Lord Sugar's character, he's gonna give you a grilling, and it just comes with the territory of being on the show and proving yourself."
She went on: "Ultimately he is giving away a quarter of a million pounds. He's got to be rigorous and tough on the candidates, and I often think that he says things to test people's character to see if they do fold under that pressure.
"And I think if you're going to fold after one difficult conversation in the boardroom or getting feedback that you don't like, business probably isn't for you because it's a hard world, it's even harder being in it with Lord Sugar, so it's probably for the best and it probably just means that he wasn't aligned with Lord Sugar for the process but it's probably best that he did decide to step away from it.
It's a hard world, it's even harder being in it with Lord SugarThe Apprentice 2023 winner Marnie Swindells
"And you know what, even though I wouldn't do it, I think it's a courageous move to recognise when something isn't for you and walk away."
Swindells — who fought off tough competition in The Apprentice back in 2023 — did sympathise that the BBC show is a gruelling process. "I would say that there weren't any moments I considered quitting," she said. "Just because of how hard it is to get onto the process, and it's such an opportunity and a privilege. I never, ever, ever, ever once considered walking away from that."
She added: "However, I would agree that it is a very hard process and I think most people do have that moment where you think it is this really worth the heartache and the trouble of what we're going through? Because when you're in it and you're experiencing it, it is a lot."
The gold-medal-winning boxer proved to be a knockout on the BBC show and landed herself the £250,000 investment at the end. Swindells had been in the final with hair guru Rochelle Anthony but her life was completely transformed when she was selected to be Lord Sugar's business partner. Now fast forward two years on.
"Life has been — encapsulated in one word, I would say: chaotic," she said. "A lot has changed post-Apprentice. The experience genuinely was life-changing. My whole focus has just been on business for the last year. As you started off the conversation, a lot of my personal relationships have suffered because of it."
She added: "Life is really good right now. The business is settling into itself, coming into its own, bearing in mind going on to the show, I didn't even have the business in place. To go from no business to a whole full business, we've expanded into a second floor, Lord Sugar on side. It's been a big jump.
"They say that your first two years of business you slip on some banana skin but I don't feel like I have the luxury of slipping on banana skins, doing it with so many eyes on it."
In the future, Swindells would like to open more gyms and move into the boxing promotion space doing events. The boxing businesswoman plans to be working with Lord Sugar for the long haul.
"Honestly, I know he's had mixed press from previous candidates but I can't speak highly enough of him, I have him on WhatsApp if I need him and I reach out, he will get back," she said. "I think I speak to the team also, pretty much daily. I feel they've been really supportive and really patient."
Working alongside Lord Sugar, Swindells has already learned a lot. "Trusting my gut instincts," she said is the biggest lesson she has learned. "He says a lot when we do have board meetings, and I pose a question to him or a problem, he'll say, 'Follow your nose, what is your gut say?' And that is definitely a lesson that I've learned."
The Apprentice continues on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday.
