Lord Alan Sugar has turned some winners of The Apprentice into millionaires - but others have been left penniless. The Apprentice is back on BBC One for an all-new series with a host of fresh-faced candidates hoping to walk away with a lucrative investment into their businesses. But what happened to the previous champs who walked away with the promise of building business empires? And who is still in business with Lord Sugar? As the tycoon's reality TV programme airs on BBC One tonight, The Mirror takes a look at where all of the winners are now...

Rachel Woolford won last year's series after beating off stiff competition. According to reports, the fitness space owner is expanding her studio to offer a dedicated Reformer Pilates studio next door. It's her first joint initiative with Lord Sugar, and her gym is based in her hometown of Leeds. He told SME: “Our acquisition of the commercial premises marks not only a significant milestone for North Studio but also a bold step forward in our new business partnership. This project brings an expansion of the existing North Studio offering is a direct response to the growing demand in the fitness industry for Reformer Pilates.".

London-born court advocate Marnie is a gold medal-winning boxer who snowballed her passion into an innovative business idea that she hoped would get Lord Sugar's investment. After taking home the prize, she focused on investing the prize money into her passion. The star and businesswoman used the money to open her own boxing gym, Bronx, in south London. Marnie got the keys to the site of her gym in 2019 but wasn't able to start trading until February 2023 due to problems with the property lease and the council. The 6,000-square-foot gym is in the heart of Camberwell and includes a competition ring, punching bags, mirrored walls to "perfect shadowboxing", and endless exercise equipment.

According to the financial accounts of Bronx Boxing Limited, Marnie has gained around £210,000 in net assets. As Marnie plans to further develop the gym, she's set to earn even more money. She said her and Lord Sugar have a "great relationship", adding: "He has a sharp sense for businesses he believes will do well and the people he wants to work with. I think once the glitz and glam of The Apprentice has subsided, he gets the true assessment of whether they are people he sees a long-term ­relationship with.".

Dessert parlour owner Harpreet Kaur was the winner of season 16 and secured the investment in her dessert shop Barni's, which was rebranded to Oh So Yum! One year after her win, Kaur went solo, and Lord Sugar announced the news on Twitter. He said: "Harpreet Kaur, The Apprentice winner 2022, has bought back Lord Sugar's shares in her desserts business, Oh So Yum! This move marks a significant achievement in the journey of the Yorkshire-based entrepreneur, who won Season 16 of the show and secured a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar.

"With the purchase of Lord Sugar's shares, Harpreet and her sister, Gurvinder Kaur, are now in full control of the business and its future direction. The separation has been amicable and Lord Sugar and Harpreet Kaur mutually agreed it was the best decision for the business moving forward. Harpreet is an exceptionally bright and driven businesswoman. I've enjoyed our time working together, and whilst the time is right for us to now go our separate ways, I have no doubts she will continue to flourish. I look forward to seeing the Oh So Yum! brand go from strength to strength.".

Carina got a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar for her artisan bakery business in 2019. She had plans to rival Greggs with her Dough Bake House chain - and business was booming a year later. As well as her original bakery in Herne Hill, Carina opened a new branch in Beckenham in September 2020. Lord Sugar himself opened the new family-run bakery and helped cut the ribbon to open the new store. "What attracted me to Carina as the winner is that this business has potential. Food will always be good," said Lord Sugar on This Morning. "Greggs watch out, we're going to have a lot of branches.".

But last year, they parted ways. A spokesperson said: "As part of an ongoing review of his business portfolio, Lord Sugar has decided to part ways with Carina Lepore, The Apprentice winner 2019 and founder of Dough Artisan Bakehouse. Both parties agreed it was the right decision for the business moving forward, and Carina will take back full control of her business with immediate effect.". Having come out on top in 2018, Sian ploughed the prize money straight back into her swimwear business, Sian Marie. After winning The Apprentice, she focused on building her team in Leeds and growing the company from small-scale to mass production. "It's a big achievement and been such a thrill. But you know, that's just the start for us. It's the first step," said Sian in October 2019.