The Apprentice's south Essex candidates reflect on success

Chisola Chitambala, from Hullbridge, is now set to take on the show’s infamous interview stage, while Leigh’s Liam Snellin suffered Lord Sugar’s latest firing.

Pressure - Candidates have been battling for Lord Sugar's investment (Image: BBC) The hit BBC One show has seen the candidates take on ten weeks of gruelling challenges in the hopes of winning a £250,000 investment in their business.

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“Honestly, I can’t really believe that I’ve made it this far, it feels so surreal, and I am so grateful,” said Chisola Chitambala, who runs her own virtual assistant business.

“The interviews are what everyone aspires to get to, and being in the final five is something that means a lot.

“I’ve made some mistakes on the show but have tried to remain as level-headed as possible and think that there’s a lot of strength in that.”

Ambitious - Chisola made it to the final five (Image: BBC) After surviving last night’s episode, in which the candidates were tasked with launching an environmentally conscious fashion brand, Chisola will join the four other remaining candidates in a series of high-stakes interviews.

The show’s penultimate episode is notoriously tough and sees Lord Sugar’s business associates pick apart the business plans that the candidates hope to secure an investment in.

Determined - Liam has built a successful workwear business (Image: BBC) Unlike Chisola, Leigh-based workwear designer Liam Snellin will not be progressing to the show’s next stage – his team’s loss in last night’s episode saw him on the end of Lord Sugar’s firing-finger.

“I’m feeling good actually, and am really grateful for the opportunities I had,” said Liam.

“I was there to improve myself, not to prove myself, and I learnt a lot from the process.

“All those little losses, I’m turning them into lessons.”

Being fired hasn’t dented Liam’s confidence, and he’s busy working on the next chapter for his business.

Focus - Liam made it much further than many other candidates (Image: BBC) After five years of refining his range of stylish workwear for men, he’s preparing to enter the women’s fashion market.

“There are a lot more women working in construction today, so I wanted to create something for them as there’s a bit of a gap in the market,” he said.

“We’re also launching our upcycled clothing range, that will be using offcuts that would otherwise be scrapped.”

The Apprentice airs on Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One.