Lord Sugar has chosen his newest business partner, crowning Dean Franklin the winner of The Apprentice 2025 after a tense final showdown.

Franklin, an air conditioning company owner from Essex, beat out tough competition from Anisa Khan, a pizza business owner from London, in the final episode of the BBC reality show.

The Final Task

The finale saw the two candidates summoned to The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London, where Lord Sugar tasked them with creating a new brand for their businesses, producing an advertising campaign, and pitching their vision to him and a panel of industry experts.

Both finalists assembled teams from eliminated contestants to help bring their plans to life.

A Tough Decision

During deliberations, Lord Sugar acknowledged the challenges both business models presented. He expressed skepticism about the competitiveness of the food industry, telling Khan that “pizza is a crowded market” and that she would have to prove her business could survive against tough competition.

To Franklin, Lord Sugar said that air conditioning had provided him with “an honest living” but questioned whether it could become a scalable business worthy of investment.

In the end, it was Franklin who won Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment and a partnership in his Amshold Group.

“Dean, you’re going to be my business partner,” Lord Sugar declared.
“Food is a necessity, but what swayed me was your consistency, your resilience—and the belief that we can grow something here.”

“This Means the World to Me”

Overjoyed, Franklin reacted with disbelief.

“I can’t believe I’ve just won The Apprentice,” he said.
“This is going to mean the world to me and my family. My kids are going to be over the moon.”

Series Highlights

Throughout the series, candidates tackled a wide range of tasks including creating an Easter egg product, planning a corporate retreat in Turkey, and launching a new brand of pet accessories.

Franklin’s calm, business-minded approach saw him make it through to the final, despite some early near-misses in the boardroom.

Dean Franklin now joins a select list of The Apprentice winners who’ve turned their moment in the spotlight into real-world business success.