Lord Sugar is championing women in business through The Apprentice with fifth consecutive female winner, says Karren Brady, who believes the show is a fantastic platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to push boundaries.

Rachel Woolford became the fifth successive female winner of The Apprentice this week as women continue to dominate the boardroom.

The gym owner, 28, won over Lord Sugar with her work ethic and business plan, sparking his decision to invest £250,000 of his own money into her firm and become a joint partner.

Her victory in Thursday night’s final, in which she beat pie shop owner Phil Turner, 37, only enhances the long-running BBC series’ reputation for championing women in business.

Indeed, the billionaire tycoon’s sidekick Karren Brady says the show is a ‘great platform’ for female entrepreneurs to shine and has helped to break down boundaries, as well as extinguish tired old prejudices.

Here MailOnline takes a look at the women Lord Sugar has taken on during his recent all-female hiring spree.

Rachel Woolford – 2024 winner

Rachel already runs two successful gyms in Leeds and Harrogate but now she’s looking to capitalise on Lord Sugar’s investment by opening two new spaces.

Since using fitness as a positive outlet for stress during her A-levels, Rachel has adored exercise, and is now a keen runner, currently completing the world’s six greatest marathons.

She aims to inspire women to be strong and embrace having muscles with her boutique fitness business North Studio, even banning words such as ‘skinny’ from her any marketing. 

She told MailOnline: ‘Being able to own a business as a woman and in the fitness industry is great.

‘The fitness industry is traditionally very male dominated with gym owners and personal trainers and instructors so I am really proud to be a woman that owns a fitness business and most of my team aside from two male trainers are all strong, powerful women.

‘In my classes, in any marketing, in general conversation, the words ‘skinny’, ‘fat’, and ‘thin’ are not allowed and we just don’t use them. I want to get more young women who might be afraid of lifting a weight, as we all have at some point, thinking we’re going to get bulky, that the benefits are amazing.

‘I was never going to be this stick thin girl, it’s just not the way I was built so I’m really pleased the narrative in the fitness world has changed to being about strength and being strong.’ 

Away from business, she is planning her wedding to fellow entrepreneur, fiancé Benjy Jacobs, who runs his own estate agents after the pair got engaged in December.

Marnie Swindells – 2023 winner

Tough-talking Marnie, 29, owns Bronx Boxing Club, a London-based gym which is set for an expansion next week.

She quit her career in law to concentrate on the business, spurred by her passion for boxing which saw her win various titles as an amateur fighter.

Lord Sugar admitted he took a ‘gamble’ hiring Marnie, as boxing and gym ownership was ‘alien’ to him, but the pair have a successful partnership and the Manchester-born entrepreneur is now plotting the next stage of her career – becoming a boxing promoter.

She said: ‘I would definitely one day like to go into promoting. I think there’s a lot I need to learn about the pro boxing arena.

‘I’ve been in amateurs a long time, so I need to really get to know the scene, get to know how things work on the pro circuit. But I would love to do that one day.’

Harpreet Kaur – 2022 winner 

Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur’s Oh So Yum! dessert chain is so high-end it’s now stocked at Selfridges.

But Lord Sugar has cooled his interest, as Harpreet revealed she had bought back her shares in the business, which is also available in some Hilton hotels, 18 months after being crowned champion – and the tycoon is no longer involved.

However, they left on good terms, as she explained to MailOnline: ‘If I did need anything in the future, it’s good to know that we’ve got a good relationship and I’m sure if I needed to I could pick up the phone.’

Harpreet won the show despite Lord Sugar’s reservations over the fact she ran the firm with her sister Gurvinder – who he had not previously met.

However, The Apprentice boss is familiar with her fiancé, co-star Akshay Thakrar, and the couple plan to marry later this year. But she insists the pair were not romantically involved in the famous Apprentice house.

She said: ‘There was literally absolutely nothing going on at the house. And I think just going through the process, coming out of it, we built a friendship and it kind of went from there.’

Carina Lepore – 2019 winner

Lord Sugar hoped to make plenty of dough with the bakery firm owner after she was crowned winner in 2019.

But unfortunately Carina Lepore, 35, parted ways with the show’s boss last summer after he quit his role as director of her Dough Artisan Bakehouse business.

A spokesman confirmed: ‘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.’

Carina has dreams of making her business as big as high street favourite Greggs and even created her own version of the chain’s vegan sausage roll.

But the Londoner’s flavours are unlikely to be as sharp as her tongue, following her scathing putdowns of her fellow candidates she accused of going on the show for fame.

She told MailOnline: ‘I was there for business, I wasn’t on there for a TV career. My focus was always on winning the competition. I never pulled focus. I went in to win it and I don’t regret anything. I stand by all my decisions.’

Sian Gabbidon – 2018 winner

The Leeds-based businesswoman convinced Lord Sugar to dive into her swimwear brand, called Sian Marie Fashion, which has since evolved into loungewear.

But the tycoon is no longer involved, having pulled out in October 2022, as Sian was keen to gain some ‘independence’ back.

She explained: ‘It was all amicably done. We’re on good terms, there was absolutely no drama. I think it was just the right time for us. Especially for me.

‘We were ready to part ways probably more from my side, there were things I wanted to do.

‘I wanted to go outside of just that business. I think I’m getting to that age as well, I wanted almost a bit of my independence back. I want to do some of my own things as well.’

Her clothes are stocked in Asda and ASOS, and have even been a hit with Love Islanders who’ve worn her collection on the ITV2 series.