The Apprentice returns: Seven of the most memorable Yorkshire candidates

Read about this year’s candidates, including former Harrogate court reporter and DJ Ruth Whiteley, here.Michelle Dewberry The businesswoman from Hull became the second winner of The Apprentice in 2006. Back then, the series winner was given a £100,000-a-year job with Lord Sugar - then simply known as ‘Sir Alan’. She stayed in the job 11 months, before setting up her own consultancy firm. Kristina Grimes Harrogate sales director Kristina was the runner-up in the third series in 2007 - the year Katie Hopkins rose to infamy. She lost out to Simon Ambrose in the final, despite saying: “There’s only me, there’s only me. I am going to be in the final and that is it.” Claire Young Nicknamed ‘The Rottweiler’ for her tenacious personality, Claire, from Wakefield, came runner up in series four of the show. She now runs her own business, School Speakers and co-founded a social enterprise working with teenage girls. Yasmina Siadatan Our second Yorkshire winner, and another businesswoman from the East Riding, Beverley-born restauranteur Yasmina beat Kate Walsh to be hired in the fifth series of The Apprentice in 2009. According to her LinkedIn profile, Yasmina’s latest project sees her offering start-up companies help to navigate ‘global new markets’. Leon Doyle The Harrogate-born entrepreneur appeared in series seven of the show and describes himself as the “one that should have won” on his website. The University of Huddersfield graduate, who was fired in week eight, now runs a tech business in Leeds. Francesca MacDuff-Varley The classically trained dancer from Leeds appeared in series nine. She made it through to the semi-final, eventually coming third. Sanjay Sood-Smith We had an inkling that Sanjay wouldn’t be ‘hired’ when it turned out he was working as assistant manager at Leeds’s Meat Liquor restaurant as series ten was been aired last autumn. The 27-year-old told the YEP he intended on setting up his own eatery in London bolstered by his experience in Leeds.