A BRADFORD businesswoman was in cruise control as she was part of the winning team on a popular TV series.

Shama Amin avoided being fired in the first week as she was on the winning women's team in the opening show of BBC's The Apprentice, shown last night.

She is battling with 15 other candidates for the chance to win an investment from show host Lord Alan Sugar.

In the first show of the series, shown last night, she even shared a joke with Lord Sugar about why she was on the show. As the candidates were introduced to the business boss in the boardroom for the first time, she joked that as the mother of five children she wanted to be a part of the process for a break, which Lord Sugar wryly agreed with.

 

In the first task the men and women's teams had to come up with a TV advert and social media video advert for a new cruise company they had created and then pitch their ideas to cruise industry experts and executives.

Shama's team came up with the company name 'Bouji Cruises', which Shama was unsure about from the start.

She voiced her views a number of times to the camera, but the concept, which included cruise holidays aimed at people aged 25 to 45, continued.

Shama also assisted Amy, who was director of the TV advert the women came up with while the two teams were based on a cruise ship in Portsmouth for the task.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Lord Sugar, front, and the 2022 candidates of The Apprentice, including Bradford's Shama Amin Lord Sugar, front, and the 2022 candidates of The Apprentice, including Bradford's Shama Amin

But ultimately it was Shama's team who won the backing of Lord Sugar and were crowned as week one task winners.

The women's reward was a champagne reception and a sneak peek at the luxury house the candidates will live in together for the whole of the series.

Following her team's victory, Shama said: "I still don’t know the clear definition of Bouji but guess what? We got something right as we were the winners."

Shama is the owner of a children's day nursery in Bradford and moved to the area almost 20 years ago.

She gave up her original banking job to look after her children but is now ready to invest in The Little Academy Day Nursery on Manchester Road. The nursery was rated 'Good' by Ofsted in 2018.

Next week Shama and the other 14 remaining candidates will create an electric toothbrush for children and an accompanying advert.

The second programme will be shown on BBC One on Thursday, January 13 at 9pm.