🎤 Amy Anzel - Exclusive Interview

If we start kind of from the beginning. So looking back, what was the most challenging part of being on The Apprentice for you?

Looking back, I think the most challenging part of being on The Apprentice was definitely the fact that you are really not allowed to showcase your business acumen as you would when running a business.

By the time I went on The Apprentice, I had been running my business, Hollywood Browzer Beauty, for five years, so I knew what it takes to run a business. I felt that you are really put in a compromised position as a legit business person because you are simply not given the normal resources. It is like your hands are tied, so to speak.

And would you say it is as competitive and intense as it appears on screen?

It definitely is. The truth is that everyone would run a business differently. I am a very collaborative person in business. I never refer to myself as anyone’s boss to those who work with me. I am definitely more of a colleague to my staff and treat everyone with respect.

But I could not say the same about some of the people who were on the show with me. I felt those people would happily throw you under the bus and do some pretty horrible things while working together on a team.

So yes, in that respect it was very competitive and cutthroat. However, throughout the process I treated everyone with respect because I treated the tasks in the show like I was working in my real business.

Is there a misconception people might have about the show and how it really works?

I think people still believe there is some truth to the show. But now I truly think the entire thing is reverse engineered and manipulated.

It is simply car crash TV at this point. It has nothing to do with your business plan, with you as a business person, or how you actually perform in the tasks. The whole show feels prescripted and purely entertainment. It is just another reality show now.

How heavily edited is the show in reality?

I do think the show is heavily edited, but what surprised me most was that the manipulation happens in real time.

I had previously been on The Bachelor in the US back in 2002, so I thought editing mainly happened in post production. I assumed they might move reactions around to create a story.

What shocked me with The Apprentice was that the manipulation happens during filming itself. When you are pitching to a buyer, they are often already told whether they should buy from you or not. Negotiations with buyers or during corporate tasks are not always genuine because they are told the limits of what they can do.

Your fate can be pretty much sealed from the beginning.

Was there a particular moment where you felt something was staged or you were set up to fail?

Yes, absolutely. I remember a moment during the non-alcoholic beverage task where I was pitching to a buyer. I approached it exactly like I would in my real business, offering options such as sale or return or starting with a small opening order.

But the buyer kept repeating that they were not interested. It felt unnatural. As someone with an acting background, I even thought it felt like the buyer was acting.

Months later I actually met that buyer through a mutual friend and she told me that she had been instructed not to buy from us before filming even started.

That was the moment I realised the entire process had been orchestrated.

Did that have an impact on your relationship with the producers? Can you tell me a little bit about what that relationship was like?

Yes. There are producers everywhere. All the candidates live in a house together and there are producers living in the house with you as well.

I remember going to a producer and saying I was really upset about what Tim had said in the boardroom because it did not reflect what actually happened during the task.

The producer brushed it off and told me that anything said in the boardroom has to be supported by visual evidence. But that simply was not true.

I think they say things to appease you. The producers can sense when you start to see cracks in the process. And once that happens, you will usually be fired shortly afterwards for any reason, even if it does not make sense.

Were the friendships formed on the show genuine, or was everyone playing a strategic game?

When you are living together and working together in that environment, people do form relationships because it is such a unique shared experience.

You are living in the same house for weeks with no distractions like phones, television or the internet. So the only thing you really have is each other.

But a lot of those friendships fade once the show ends. People move back to different parts of the country and go back to their normal lives.

I think many contestants believe they have formed strong friendships during the process, but ultimately most of those relationships do not last.

At this point I only have one friend left from the show.

Did you feel that boardroom decisions had already been made before you walked in?

Absolutely. I remember another situation during the non-alcoholic beverage task where it felt obvious they wanted me out.

Sophie was the project manager and she was asked to bring two people back into the boardroom who had performed poorly. She brought back Akshay and Navid.

But Lord Sugar kept asking her to reconsider her decision and asked her three separate times if she was protecting someone she was friendly with.

He kept looking directly at me while saying it. It felt like he was hoping I would be brought back so I could be fired.

Sometimes people slip through the cracks if the project manager does not bring them back. But then the show has ways to regain control, like bringing the whole team back into the boardroom so they can fire whoever they want.

Were there any contestants you believe should have been fired earlier?

One hundred percent. There was a guy named Akshay in my season who struggled in a lot of tasks.

He made bad decisions and was often on the losing team. He was brought back into the boardroom several times and yet he kept being saved by Lord Sugar.

He seemed to have nine lives and viewers at home were probably wondering why he kept surviving week after week.

But moments like that create good television because people react strongly and talk about it online.

The truth is the show can control outcomes however it wants. Decisions do not always have to make logical sense because the priority is entertainment.

It has been around four years since your series aired. Do you think the show has changed for better or worse?

I actually think the show gets worse every year.

They have even removed some of the fun elements, like the experiences the winning team used to receive as a reward after tasks.

At the same time the format and the types of tasks have barely changed in twenty years.

I also think the casts have become more generic over time. In earlier seasons there were big personalities and clashes between contestants that created entertaining television.

Now many of the candidates blend together and it can be hard to even remember their names.

Do you think some candidates today are more interested in fame and building a public profile rather than securing an investment?

One hundred percent. I think a lot of people now go on the show for fame. Very few contestants today are there purely for mentorship and investment.

I also think the casting has changed. The show now brings in people who already have some level of online fame, such as contestants with large TikTok followings. That helps attract a different audience and bring more viewers to the show.

Years ago contestants were not allowed to promote themselves online while the show was airing. The narrative was meant to come from the show itself.

Now contestants are encouraged to create social media content while the series is on television because The Apprentice is a brand. The show needs viewers in order to continue being renewed each year.

Is there any advice you would give this year’s contestants that you wish you had known at the time?

I would tell them to do the best they can and try their hardest to showcase their business acumen, even though the show makes that difficult.

I would also say stick to your decisions and treat the tasks as if you were running your own business.

Have integrity in the way you approach the tasks and stay true to who you are. Do not dim your personality just because there are other strong personalities around you.

Be authentic and do your best.

Harry Clough is currently favourite in the betting markets. Do you have a standout candidate this season?

I was recently away in New York for two weeks so I have not watched the most recent episodes, but I have tried to keep up with what has been happening online.

Karishma stands out to me. She seems strong willed and outspoken and appears to have a good head on her shoulders.

She comes across as street smart and confident, so she has been one of the standout candidates for me from the beginning.

What are your thoughts on the current season overall?

I do not understand why the producers cannot introduce different and unique tasks to keep the show fresh.

The few changes they have made this season have actually made the show feel flatter. For example, removing the reward experience for the winning team takes away a fun element that viewers enjoyed.

Another change is that You’re Fired is no longer shown on BBC2 after the episode. That show used to have a live studio audience and added excitement to the end of each episode.

Overall, it feels like the producers are not adding anything new or interesting to the format.

Dragon’s Den seems to produce more successful businesses. Why do you think that is?

There are definitely businesses that come out of Dragon’s Den that you remember and see growing in the real world.

For example, Steven Bartlett invested in a matcha tea brand called Perfect Ted in 2023. The founders have since achieved huge success and the brand is now widely recognised.

I have even spoken to one of the founders at an event and asked whether they would have reached that level without Dragon’s Den. They said they would not have achieved that growth without Steven Bartlett’s support.

That shows the difference between Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice. While Dragon’s Den might also contain some television elements, it feels far more legitimate overall.

What is one piece of business advice you wish Lord Sugar had given you?

Honestly, none.

I do not think Lord Sugar really has his finger on the pulse anymore when it comes to modern business, particularly retail and e-commerce.

Most of his success came from Amstrad in the 1980s and 1990s and from property investments. I do not believe he would be able to give meaningful advice on the digital retail world, apps or modern tech stacks.

I remember during my season there was a contestant who focused heavily on sustainability. Lord Sugar repeatedly asked what sustainability meant, which surprised me.

At one point we created packaging without plastic windows because we wanted it to be fully cardboard and environmentally friendly. When Lord Sugar saw the final product he questioned why we had not used plastic.

That moment made it clear to me that he does not fully understand some of the modern business trends that many companies focus on today.

Do you think the show needs a younger figure to remain relevant?

I think the show needs someone with a younger mindset. The person does not necessarily have to be younger in age.

If you look at someone like Richard Branson, he is only slightly younger than Lord Sugar but he still seems very in touch with modern business trends such as climate initiatives and innovation.

The world of business is evolving quickly and I do not think the show reflects those changes right now.

If someone like Steven Bartlett were running the show, would it feel more like genuine mentorship?

Yes, I believe it would. Steven Bartlett seems genuinely interested in working with young entrepreneurs because he is one himself.

I do not feel Lord Sugar is particularly interested in building businesses with contestants after the show.

I have even read interviews with former winners who said they felt intimidated during meetings with him. That does not sound like mentorship.

Having someone more engaged with entrepreneurs could make a big difference and would refresh the show.

How real do you think reality television actually is today?

I honestly do not think reality television is real anymore.

I feel lucky that I experienced reality TV when it was genuinely unscripted during the early 2000s when I appeared on the first season of The Bachelor.

Back then the cameras simply captured what was happening. There was very little manipulation.

Over time the industry changed. Producers began scripting more scenarios and guiding contestants to create dramatic television.

Today it feels like producers have to manufacture situations to keep audiences entertained.

Do producers deliberately create heroes and villains?

I definitely believe producers decide in advance who will be portrayed as heroes and villains.

During my season I felt they intentionally tried to present me as the villain.

Even small details seemed deliberate. For example, the producers approved the clothing we wore in publicity photos and selected a red dress for me, which can symbolise aggression.

Music choices and editing also influence how viewers perceive contestants.

Producers often guide contestants during interviews by asking leading questions that encourage dramatic responses.

Would you advise entrepreneurs to appear on reality television?

It is difficult to give a clear answer.

I usually tell people to go on shows like this at their own risk because you have no control over how you will be portrayed.

You might believe that your experience and business success will ensure you come across well, but production ultimately controls the narrative.

Even when contestants are told they will have the opportunity to explain their side of events on follow-up programmes, those moments can still be edited out.

That means you never truly control your story.

Do contestants today face more backlash on social media?

Before social media existed, contestants probably avoided much of the criticism that exists today.

Now there will always be negative comments and online trolls, but the best thing to do is ignore them.

People online often hide behind anonymity, so their opinions should not carry too much weight.

It is important to develop thick skin and remember that public attention fades quickly.

Do reality programmes do enough to protect contestants’ mental health?

They say there is a duty of care and that contestants can access a therapist if they need support.

After I was fired I did speak to the therapist provided by the show because I was struggling to process what had happened.

However, the session was not helpful. I was simply told that it was Lord Sugar’s show and that I should move on.

That did not feel like genuine therapy, so I later sought help from an independent therapist who was shocked by the experience.

In my view the support offered by the show was not adequate.