Sussex business graduate featured in the final of The Apprentice
Bianca Miller, Sussex graduate and entrepreneur
Lord Alan Sugar
A former business student at the University of Sussex appeared in the final of the latest series of ‘The Apprentice’ last month.
Bianca Miller has her own personal branding business and has said on the BBC One TV show: “I regret not being a scientist so I could clone myself and be more successful in half the time.”
At the end of December Bianca and one other candidate, Mark Wright, took part in the final round of the competition.
In this round, contestants were asked to plan the launch of a new business and then present their campaigns to leading industry experts and Lord (Alan) Sugar.
Bianca pitched ‘True Skin’, a range of toned tights to match any skin colour, but ended up in second place when the judges preferred her rival Mark’s idea for a digital marketing company.
Bianca launched The Be Group in 2012, two years after graduating from a Business and Management Studies course at Sussex.
Her company, which offers personal development and personal branding services as well as employability coaching, was named as one of the Startups 100 businesses of 2013.
Dr Piera Morlacchi, who taught Bianca several modules including one on entrepreneurship, said: “I have fond memories of Bianca as a student. She was smart, but also a very pleasant and polite person.
“She worked very well in groups and had a great sense of humour. I think she will be very successful in future.”
‘The Apprentice’ is a reality TV show following a group of businessmen and businesswomen as they compete for a £250,000 investment in their business idea and for the chance to work with Lord Sugar.
Each week, teams of contestants must carry out business-related tasks; those who do not succeed are subjected to Lord Sugar’s famous “You’re fired!” catchphrase.
If you hurry, you can still catch the programme online – it’s available until Thursday (22 January) on BBC iPlayer.