Karishma Vijay and Pascha Myhill are going head-to-head this evening (April 16) to be crowned the winner of the BBC business show and receive a £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar.
Three former winners will be making appearances in tonight’s final, but two former trusted advisors of Lord Sugar will also be back.
Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford back on The Apprentice
Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford are set to return to screens on The Apprentice for the final, according to The Sun.
The pair have not appeared together on the BBC show since 2013, but reports say they will play a “key role”.
From 2005 to 2009, Margaret and Nick were advisers to Lord Sugar, until Margaret announced she would be leaving at the end of series five to concentrate on her PhD.
Baroness Karren Brady came in as her replacement, but Mountford did feature in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 during the interview stages.
Hewer quit the show in December 2014, saying he believed it was “the appropriate time”.
He notably hosted Countdown from 2012 to 2020 before he was replaced by Anne Robinson.
Three former winners will also be returning – Dr Leah Totton (2013 winner), Ricky Martin (2012 winner), and Dean Franklin (2025 winner).
They will be giving the remaining candidates advice before they take to the stage to launch their business to a room full of industry experts.
Who is in the final of The Apprentice 2026?
Karishma Vijay, from Ashford, will be going head-to-head against fellow finalist Pascha Myhill, from Reading.
Beauty Brand Owner Vijay is seeking investment in her skincare brand Kishkin.
On what the experience has taught her, she said: “It taught me that I am a lot stronger than I thought.
“I know how to innovate, I know how pitch, I know how to sell, I know how to back myself and I know how to lead.
“I’m ready to take on the cutthroat business world – in fact, I think I was born for it.”
Myhill is looking for the backing of her recruitment company within private healthcare, which supplies professionals to private nursing homes, care homes, supported living services, and domiciliary care providers and nurseries within the UK.
She advised future applicants of the show to “unapologetically” be themselves.
“Don’t try to create a “TV version” of who you think people want to see,” she said.
“The process is too intense, too long, and too exposing to maintain an act.
“Also, know your why.
“Apply because you genuinely want the investment and you’re ready to fight for it.
“When the days are long and the boardrooms are brutal, your reason is what keeps you steady.”
A tease for the episode reads: “It’s the final and as usual the remaining two candidates go head to head to win Lord Sugar’s investment.
“Supported by a handful of returning candidates, they must launch their businesses to a roomful of industry and a few familiar faces from the past 20 years, before the business mogul decides who will become his next partner.”
What time is the Apprentice final on tonight?
The Apprentice final for 2026 will air this evening on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, from 9pm to 10pm.
The winner will become Lord Sugar’s new business partner and will receive £250,000 in investment in their business.
Will you be watching the final of The Apprentice this evening? Let us know in the comments.
