First ever British Eelam Tamil to star in BBC’s The Apprentice

Dr Jana Denzel is set to be the first Eelam Tamil contestant on the show, as it kicks off on TV screens across the UK next week.
Dr Jana Denzel is set to be the first Eelam Tamil contestant on the show, as it kicks off on TV screens across the UK next week.

Jana

 

Dr Jana Denzel is set to be the first Eelam Tamil contestant on BBC’s hit show “The Apprentice”, as it kicks off on TV screens across the UK next week.

The Apprentice, now in its 19th series, sees contestants from all over the UK compete for a £250,000 investment from British business tycoon Lord Sugar.  

Dr Denzel, a British born Tamil, will be competing against 17 other contestants for the top prize, in a series of challenges set to test their business acumen. The Harley Street based dentist was awarded the Best Young Dentist London at the Dentistry Awards in 2021 and again in 2024.

jana

“It’s a huge honour to be selected to go on the show,” he told the Tamil Guardian this week. “It was a really tough and gruelling process to get through the interviews. Being part of the final 18 from the 80,000 people who applied to go on is fantastic!”

He describes his experience on the show as a “whirlwind,” adding that it is “definitely very different from what you expect and what goes on behind the lens, compared to seeing it at home”.

“The whole experience is life changing for sure,” he continued.

When asked about how it feels to be the first Eelam Tamil origin contest, Dr Denzel describes it as “an honour”. 

“There are so many British Tamils making our community proud,” he said. “We are in every sphere of life in the UK, and this I hope is just another landmark for us.”

He describes the show as “challenging” and something that pushed him “out of [his] comfort zone”.

“Most of all, I hope the viewers at home enjoy watching me and the other contestants grapple with all that Lord Sugar has set for us. There are lots of high-pressure situations, and even more moments when you just have to sit back and laugh at yourself. It is definitely worth the watch.”

The first episode from the 2025 series airs on the BBC, on Thursday 30th January at 9pm.

jana


 

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