Apprentice 2016 winner Alana Spencer: ‘I don’t know if I’d want to do the show again’

The founder of Ridiculously Rich by Alana says living with the other contestants was like ‘Big Brother’
Winner: Alana Spencer says her life has been a 'mad whirlwind' since her Apprentice victory
BBC

Last year’s Apprentice winner Alana Spencer has revealed she wouldn’t be keen on participating in the business competition a second time round.

Speaking to the Standard Online, the founder of cake company Ridiculously Rich by Alana described her experience on the show as ‘intense’ and compared living in the house with the other contestants to being on ‘Big Brother’.

“It was intense. I don’t know if I’d want to do it again. You get to do so many things, like getting a gin to market in 24 hours. But the whole living with other people thing, it’s like Big Brother,” she confessed.

Spencer explained that the candidates' famously ruthless spirit isn't just for show.

“Once the cameras are off people are still competitive,” she said.

When asked how she feels seeing this year’s contestants starting their Apprentice journey, Spencer admitted it made her feel ‘quite sad’.

Sweet success: Spencer (far right) visited the new contestants alongside some of her fellow winners
Freemantle Media

“It’s quite sad [to see the new candidates]. It’s exciting for them. I got to go in on the first day and see all their nervous faces. I wanted to shout ‘It will be alright’ across to them”.

“It’s been a mad whirlwind year. It’s quite sad it’s over.”

Spencer was crowned Lord Sugar’s Apprentice in 2017, after facing off against friend Courtney Wood in the final.

She has since used the mogul’s £250,000 investment to expand her baked-goods business, with Lord Sugar playing an ‘instrumental’ roll in her plans.

Ridiculously Rich specialises in cakes and cookies, offering treat-filled subscription boxes that customers can have mailed directly to them.

Spencer certainly seems busy – she’s conducting the interview from a factory and pauses the call to field questions from an employee at one point.

As for what the famously brusque Lord Sugar is like as a business partner, Spencer is very complimentary, but reveals the mogul tends to guide rather than get involved with the everyday nitty gritty.

“He’s great. He’s there for guidance but not for day-to day-running,” she comments.

The Apprentice 2017 starts on Wednesday, October 4 at 9pm on BBC One.

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