The final of The Apprentice 2026 will be contested by Pascha Myhill and Karishma Vijay.
Their selection followed a gruelling interview stage in last night’s episode, where Lord Sugar’s trusted business associates pulled the candidates’ business plans apart.
Priyesh Bathia was fired first and was quickly followed by PR man Lawrence Rosenberg.
With only three candidates remaining, Lord Sugar sprang a surprise when he fired one of the favourites, Dan Miller.
The red hot favourite now is 28-year-old beauty brand owner Karishma Vijay, who impressed after being interrogated by Claudine Collins, Mike Soutar, Linda Plant and Claude Littner.
She’s the founder of beauty brand Kishkin, which describes itself as a ‘skin care miracle’.
After reaching the final, the social media influencer shared a childhood photo of her with her father to her 850k TikTok and Instagram followers with the message ‘Papa, this one’s for you’.
The surprise package is 22-year-old Pascha Myhill, who is the youngest candidate left in the show.
She was criticised for not knowing what profit and loss meant and only having a seven-page business account.
The Reading entrepreneur is seeking investment for her recruitment company within private healthcare and shared a photo on social media (see main image) with her fellow finalist having a celebratory drink.
She said: “This journey has pushed me in ways I never expected. Long days, intense challenges, and plenty of moments that tested every bit of resilience I’ve got… but I wouldn’t change a second of it. Grateful, slightly overwhelmed, and SO excited for what’s next.”
However, it was a tough night for the three male candidates in the interview process.
Priyesh Bathia, who was seeking investment for his mobile cocktail bar business, was told ‘don’t give up your day job’.
Lord Sugar looked stunned when Lawrence Rosenberg’s business plan revealed he was actually seeking an initial investment of £500k, rising to £5.5m for his AI-powered PR platform.
‘Tedious’ business plan
He was told his 75-page business plan was ‘tedious’ and looked like it had been put together by AI, something which he denied.
After the show finished, Rosenberg posted a photo of his wedding day with his wife Lydia.
He said: “Since the show, I’ve launched my business Rosenberg Media, had endless doors open thanks to my journey to the final five, and it’s paved the way for my next steps in the business world.”
Shock firing
The biggest surprise was the firing of Dan Miller.
He’s the founder of student recruitment company Young Professionals UK and said he made his first million by the age of 25.
However, during the interview process, it was revealed his business was loss-making, he’d paid himself a £100k dividend and he had a holiday home in Marbella.
Lord Sugar said: “Your numbers are like a jungle. I’m not sure you understand them yourself.”