The Apprentice 2023: Who is Marnie Swindells and why did Lord Sugar hire her?

But who is she and what made him hire her out of this year's 18 ambitious candidates? She impressed his trusted advisers with her tenacity, boxing knowledge and determination, though they recommended that her business plan as it stood would not work.

Marnie Swindells graduated from BPP University Law School in 2018 following the successful completion of its Barrister Training Course.

The 28-year-old businesswoman had already secured money towards her community-focused boxing gym Bronx Beyond Boxing in London before appearing on The Apprentice and used her experience within the industry, as well as being a gold medal-winning boxer, to win over Lord Sugar.

The Apprentice candidates for 2023 ranked by Lord Sugar

Marnie, from Oldham, has spoken of her humble beginnings, growing up in a caravan with her mother following her father's sudden death when she was eight.

She completed the BPP Law School’s Barrister Training Course and was working as a court advocate before she began filming the show last year. Marnie would have completed preparing for Pupilage 1 and 2, immersing herself in the context of realistic case studies and taking part in face-to-face workshops. She would have also undertaken the study of criminal themes, helping to develop the oral skills of conference and cross examination.

The team behind the course at BPP University Law School said: “We could not be more proud of the fact that one of our barrister training course graduates has beaten off some tough competition to be announced as Lord Sugar’s new business partner. Throughout her time on the series, Marnie clearly took some of the skills she’d developed during her training with us to impress not only Lord Sugar himself, but also his advisers Baronness Karren Brady and former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell.

"Despite the majority of challenges the business candidates faced on the show being largely unrelated to the field of law, it is clear from the praise and feedback Marnie received in the boardroom week by week that her confidence levels and public speaking skills were what gave her a strong business edge that stood out.

"We believe that the emotional resilience Marnie displayed during times of high stress, her ability to lead and communicate effectively with her fellow team members, and her fearless approach towards stepping outside of her comfort zone during the various business tasks are all skills that she would’ve honed and developed during her time studying with us. We are excited to see her excel in her career, and can’t wait to see her business ventures succeed with the financial investment she has been given through the show.”

Find out more about the Barrister Training Course here: www.bpp.com/courses/law/postgraduate/btc-barrister-training-course