BBC The Apprentice 2023: Meet Reece Donnelly - the Glasgow candidate competing for Lord Sugar’s investment

The Apprentice returns to BBC One for a new series this week and one contestant from Glasgow is looking to make history as the first Scot to win the show. Reece Donnelly has already established himself as a success in Scotland as a business owner.

When he was just 19, Reece founded the Theatre School of Scotland and Theatre College of Scotland. After he founded the business in 2017, Donnelly became the youngest person in the UK to own a college.

Now looking to impress Lord Sugar and compete for the £250,000 investment, Donnelly hopes his experience as the youngest CEO in further education will give him the necessary skills to proceed in the competition.

He told the BBC: “My proven track record of starting, scaling and ultimately turning businesses into a success, along with Lord Sugar’s knowledge and contacts, is a recipe for success.”

Speaking about hoping to become the first Scot to win the show. He said: “Lord Sugar has never invested in a Scottish candidate. And I’m here to prove that Scotland is filled with forward-thinking entrepreneurs and that we are not in fact a haggis-eating, kilt-wearing nation.”

Who is Reece Donnelly?

Donnelly is a 25-year-old business owner born in Cambuslang. He attended Trinity High School and started acting aged 6. After graduating from the University of Sunderland with an undergraduate degree in Drama, he set up his theatre school.

Elsewhere, he is the director of KR Management and appeared as part of The Sunday Mail’s Young Scot Awards list. He currently has 10k followers on Instagram and over 300 posts.

When is The Apprentice series 17 on TV?

The Apprentice will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday January 5 2023 at 9pm.