The Apprentice 2024: Lord Sugar picks winner of Phil v Rachel final

A piemaker and a gym owner walk into a boardroom...

Not the start of a bad joke, but the set-up for an intense final of BBC One's The Apprentice.

The "pastry v pilates" showdown saw pie company chief Phil Turner and boutique gym boss Rachel Woolford face off in a contest for Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment.

But after weeks of tasks, firings and cringe-inducing moments, there could only be one winner.

In the final episode, Rachel and Phil had to pitch their business ideas to a room of experts, coming up with logos and digital adverts.

Currently, Rachel has two gyms in Yorkshire - one in Leeds, and another in Harrogate.

Phil, meanwhile, runs his family business - Turner's Pies - in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.

Both impressed Lord Sugar with their efforts, but it was Rachel who scooped the prize, and the boutique gym owner tells BBC Newsbeat she was surprised to finish on top.

"I couldn't quite believe it, to be honest with you, I think nothing can prepare you for that moment," she says.

"I went on The Apprentice with the hopes to expand my business and now I've come out of it as Lord Sugar's business partner, and the guarantee that my business and studio is going to grow."

Her next plan is deciding the location for her third gym, which she says is likely to be in Newcastle or Yorkshire.

And Phil, while he might not have won, says his pitch was "one of the highlights of my life".

"It was so intense, but obviously disappointed to not have Lord Sugar as my next business partner," he says.

"But there's so many takeaways from the show, I've met so many great people and absolutely loved the experience."

Contestants from The Apprentice have featured on a lot of TikTok For You Pages this year, and both Rachel and Phil have been posting about their experience.

But they both say they were surprised by the platform's love of the show.

"I didn't realise how big TikTok was with the show every time," Rachel says. "I can't believe how many people are interested in it."

Phil is one of the show's most popular contestants on the platform, but he says he only started to edit content last year.

"I used to watch TikToks with my daughter all the time, so I always knew the trends, but I never created anything," he says.

"And it wasn't until about the middle of last year where I started creating and editing and, actually, I kind of realised I had a bit of a passion for it.

"I could see how it would potentially be beneficial for the business as well for me to do that.

"By the time the show aired, I kind of got so in the habit of creating TikToks."

For any aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own business, Rachel says her biggest piece of advice is to "be ready for a really difficult first few years".

"And make sure you're doing it for the right reasons, with something you're passionate about," she says.

"Don't just try something because it looks easy or you think you can make a quick buck.

"Because that is just not the case."

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.