Rachel Woolford The Apprentice: Leeds gym owner reveals what viewers didn’t get to see in the interviews

The Leeds business owner will battle it out with pie maker Phil Turner in the grand final of the BBC One show, which will air on Thursday night.

The final five took on the gruelling interview stage in last week’s episode, which eventually saw Leeds dentist Dr Paul Midha reject an offer from Lord Sugar.

But Rachel, owner of boutique gym North Studio in Roundhay and Harrogate, has now shared what really happened during the infamous interviews.

Posting on Instagram, she said: “We were with the interviewers for 45 minutes each, on average. You saw really small clips.

“Another thing you didn’t see was that parts of the interview were actually quite nice. In every single interview I actually had good moments, even though you didn’t see that - particularly Linda Plant who is from Leeds. She was brilliant to interview with.”

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The grand final will see Rachel and Phil launch their businesses, with the Leeds contestant hoping to expand her fitness studio, which she founded in Street Lane in 2020.

Rachel’s just one boardroom away from Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment into her business, and becoming another Leeds winner of The Apprentice - joining Sian Gabbidon andwho won the show in 2018.

Rachel told her Instagram followers: “Being in the final of The Apprentice is crazy to me.

“Yes you have to have some self-belief…but I think I never truly believed, deep down, that I could make it this far. I have huge belief in my business and a passion for it, but to be alongside…all of the people who were in the final five was a massive privilege.

“To be picked out of those guys is incredible, I’m feeling overwhelmed. You can see in my face how truly shocked I am to go through to the final.”

The grand final of The Apprentice series 18 will air at 9pm on Thursday April 18.