The
Apprentice
Meet the Boys
Alex
Wotherspoon
Age: 24
Career: Regional Sales Manager
Qualifications: BA Managerial Administrative Studies
at Aston Business School
Lives: Bolton
Alex is
charming and tenacious and claims his "communication skills are
second to none". He is currently a Regional Sales Manager who works
across the north of the UK managing a team of 30 sales agents. Freeloaders
and social loafers annoy Alex, who boxes and ballroom dances in his
free time. His first job was selling horse manure with his brother to
make enough money to go travelling to the Greek Isles for a month. They
later expanded the business supplying to garden centres. Their top soil
was dubbed "Wotherspoons Black Gold". Alex is incredibly accident
prone – he has punctured a lung, broken ribs, shattered his knuckles,
severed his voice box, broken fingers and dislocated his jaw.
He says:
"I give 100% all the way. I always speak my mind."
Ian
Stringer
Age: 26
Career: Software Sales Manager
Qualifications: 8 GCSEs
Lives: Flitwick, Bedfordshire
Born in
Blackpool, Ian is a forward thinker with a good work ethic, he is people
orientated but says he "certainly is not a wallflower". He
has worked his way up to a Software Sales Manger from his first job
as a sales assistant in Dixons and gives "110%" to everything
he does. A devoted father, he has a daughter and son aged two and one
respectively. Ian is an avid football fan. In his spare time he has
done local radio weekend match reports for his local club. Ian's claim
to fame was that he had a No. 8 hit in the charts – the second
top selling unofficial World Cup record for 2006 – when he rewrote
the lyrics to Tony Christie's Amarillo. The record was Sport Relief's
charity record and Ian even appeared in the video.
He says:
"There are two types of people in the world; winners and ... I
don't know how to say the word, I can't say it."
Kevin
Shaw
Age: 24
Career: Bank Manager
Qualifications: 11 GCSEs and 2 A-Levels
Lives: Woking
A bank
manager at the age of 19, Kevin makes his team bond by singing, dancing
and "having morning huddles". He claims to be a natural born
leader who is so cunning he can make his staff do things they never
imagined. He wanted to get on the show because since he was five he
has had a dream that by the age of 25 he would be earning £100k
a year. He says "every other objective I've set, I've delivered
so I have to do it, it's the only thing I have to do now". Kevin
is friends with Jenson Button and enjoys watching Formula 1 racing in
his spare time.
He says:
"I am driven, ambitious and hungry. It's obvious that I'll play
a key part in the show from the start. I don't mess about. If I want
something I will get it. I want to win"
Lee
McQueen
Age: 30
Career: Recruitment Sales Manager
Qualifications: 8 GCSEs and BTEC Diploma in IT
Lives: Princes Risborough, Bucks
Son of
a milkman and brought up in Perivale, Middlesex, Lee realised at an
early age the importance of working hard and getting your foot on the
property ladder. Lee bought his first house aged 18 and then went on
to buy one for his mother in return for all the support she has given
him. Lee describes himself as a cat – sometimes purring with affection
and other times just biting. He has over eight years experience in the
recruitment industry gained predominately in IT. To cheer up his colleagues
he likes to do a "reverse pterodactyl" which involves him
standing on a chair and screeching. He applied to the show because he
believes Sir Alan to be "a true entrepreneur" and thinks he
can learn to be a fantastic businessman working for him.
He says:
"There is no airy-fairy stuff with me, I tell it how I see it."
Michael
Sophocles
Age: 24
Career: Telesales Executive
Qualifications: MA in History & Classics
Lives: North London
Self-styled
alpha male Michael is a fearless professional who claims nothing phases
him. He describes himself as a "good Jewish boy" with a ruthless
streak who "doesn't care at all about other people's feelings".
His passion in life are women, food, drink and gambling. Despite a very
middle-class background he says he has an uncanny knack and talent of
being able to adapt himself to all types of situations. He says that
his current job in media sales earns him an astronomical amount of money.
He says:
"I am an exceptional individual. I am an exhibitionist, I am fearless,
I want money and I am unscrupulous."
Nicholas
De Lacy Brown
Age: 24
Career: Barrister, Artist and Property Developer
Qualifications: LLB Law degree and MA in Medical Law
& Ethics
Lives: West London
Originally
from Shoreham-by-Sea, Nicholas adopted his grandmother's name De Lacy
five years ago as he felt it was more sophisticated. Although not born
into aristocracy Nicholas fancies himself as an artistic, country hopping
lord. He says: "From the moment I was born I knew I was destined
for great things." And "allergic to chavs", he believes
he has a privileged and luxurious life. Nicholas claims one of his worst
moments of failure in life was when he once got a B in a GCSE. Since
then he has been "outstanding" in everything academic he has
taken on. Nicholas's great love in life is art and once became a short-term
celebrity at the age of 13 when he exhibited a painting of each and
every one of the 37 Shakespeare plays.
He says:
"My name is very distinctive. De Lacy is a beautiful name. It gets
me noticed in business and life."
Raef
Bjayou
Age: 27
Career: Entrepreneur
Qualifications: BA Politics & History at University
of Exeter
Lives: North West London
Raef is
a highly motivated and ambitious individual with first- hand experience
of dealing with clients in sales both home and abroad. A former School
Captain, he founded the Exeter University Debating Society and claims
to "have never lost an argument" yet. Raef has "faced
death in the face many times". He even once asked Michael Heseltine
a question on Question Time and was "surprised by the ignorance
of his answer". He is a Company Director of an import, export business
that specialises in products that are not available in the UK.
He says:
"The spoken word is my tool (I'm a) terrific conversationalist
and raconteur, with incredible charisma. (I'm) priceless, absolutely
priceless."
Simon
Smith
Age: 35
Career: Senior Satellite Television Engineer
Qualifications: 8 GCSEs
Lives: Harlow, Essex
Simon has
served in the Royal Artillery as an NCO (non-commissioned officer) and
specialised as a surveyor. He served in countries all over the world
including Bosnia, Cyprus, The USA, Canada, Northern Ireland and the
Middle East. It was there he trialled the army's first satellite communications
systems. He was given exemplary discharge from service in 1998. He is
now a Senior Satellite Engineer responsible for Sky TV installations.
Simon is a tough but honest, likeable, salt of the earth kind of guy
who claims planning is the key to doing anything well. He loves Sir
Alan's no nonsense approach and claims to have never missed an episode
of The Apprentice yet.
He says:
"I get things done. I have enthusiasm for everything I do. I am
loud, bombastic, I don't play games. Everyone wants me on their team."
