BBC The Apprentice 2023: Who is Victoria Goulbourne? Merseyside candidate vying for Alan Sugar’s investment

The full cast of contestants has been confirmed by the BBC for the new series of The Apprentice - and it includes a candidate from Merseyside.
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The Apprentice 2023 line up has been revealed and a Merseyside entrepreneur is one of 18 candidates who will be competing for Lord Alan Sugar’s investment. Victoria Goulbourne, from Formby, is a former flight attendant turned budding entrepreneur.

She is currently a business owner who runs an online sweet company that was launched during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Not only has Ms Goulbourne proven to be a success, with her business a social media sensation, but the businesswoman wants to grow it even further with the help of Lord Sugar’s £250k investment.

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She said  that the combination of her “unrivalled” customer service skills, her adaptability, as well as Lord Sugar’s cash injection, will make her business fly. When speaking to the BBC, Victoria said: “As a former flight attendant and now a business owner, my customer service skills are unrivalled.

“I know what consumers want. I’ve travelled all over the world and I’m not afraid to take on a challenge. [My weakness is that] I am direct and outspoken. This is because I am passionate and I know what I want.

“I deserve Lord Sugar’s investment as I’m adaptable and have a keen business acumen. During the pandemic I had to change my career suddenly, I identified a gap in the market where there are no pick and mix sweets presented aesthetically.

“My business took off quickly and with [the help of] Lord Sugar’s investment I know it could fly,” she added.

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The first episode will see the 18 contestants immediately sent off to Antigua to test their selling and marketing skills. In groups, the candidates will have to create and sell excursions to tourists.

The new series will also see fan favourite Claude Littner return for two episodes in a reduced role. The board will stay the same as last series -  Lord Alan Sugar, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell.

The Apprentice 2023 release date and how to watch

The new series of the long-running BBC competition is scheduled to return to the small screen this week. Episode one will air on Thursday (January 5) at 9pm.

If you wish to watch it on-demand, or maybe you fancy watching episodes from  prior seasons, you can do so via BBC iPlayer. For more information, visit the BBC website.