Smashing up cabs and harassing Dan Wooton: The Apprentice candidates with criminal records

Something that we love about The Apprentice is that it focuses on real life people with actual business plans. However with that comes real life drama and messy run-ins with the law. Not everyone on the show is as perfect as they seem, so here’s a rundown of the truly wild Apprentice candidates with criminal records.

Gary Poulton – season 11

Gary Poulton won the 2015 series of The Apprentice but was arrested the same year following a “disturbance” at the home he shared with his partner and daughter. He was questioned by police in a 4am visit and was arrested but later released without charge.

Andrew Brady – season 13

Andrew Brady was on the thirteenth season of The Apprentice back in 2017. In February last year he was arrested and jailed for four months following a “campaign of harassment” against GB News host Dan Wooton. Andrew Brady had an axe, machete, crossbow and knives confiscated from his home and the judge branded him as “shameful.”

Syed Ahmed – season two

Syed Ahmed was a contestant on the 2006 series of The Apprentice and famously dated the winner Michelle Dewberry. However, that year the businessman was arrested a couple of times for drunk driving and on suspicion of money laundering. In July 2006, Syed was already banned from driving but was still found three times over the limit. The police handed him a two-month suspended sentence.

One month later Syed was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a money laundering operation but was later released on bail. A spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of Syed at the time, the statement said: “After finding out that a case had been brought to Chingford Police Station involving Mr Syed Ahmed’s then business partner, he decided to visit the police station and present the facts. He was questioned and the Metropolitan Police took no further action. Mr Syed Ahmed was not involved in any wrong doing.”

Sharon McAllister – season two

Sharon McAllister appeared on the same season as Syed Ahmed. Nine years later from her season in 2006, she was jailed for contempt of court after repeatedly failing to follow a court order as part of a legal battle with her former partner. She strongly denied the allegations against her, but spent three months in prison. In 2017 she was cleared on appeal.

Christopher Farrell – season six

Only days before the sixth season aired, it was reported one of the contestants known as Christopher Farrell was on bail for fraud and had a previous weapons conviction. Christopher had reportedly made three mortgage applications and one re-mortgage application totalling £750,000 on behalf of clients without informing any of them. He initially tried to pass the blame to work colleagues before admitting he was guilty.

Christopher was handed a nine month prison sentence which was suspended for two years. In 2015 he was ordered to pay a £400 fine plus £150 compensation and a further court fee of £125 when he was found guilty of punching a taxi driver in the mouth.

Joanna Riley – season six

Joanna was on season six alongside Christopher and it turns out he wasn’t the only one with a criminal past. Joanna Riley had previously been convicted for racially abusing three taxi drivers after a boozy night out. These reports emerged as season six aired on telly.

Joanna caused £1,000 damage to taxi drivers’ cars after one of them made a sexually explicit comment to her. She pleaded guilty to causing “racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence” and was given a two-year conditional discharge.

Thomas Skinner – season 15

We all know Thomas Skinner as the bloke who shouts “bosh” and eats pie, mash and gravy at ungodly hours. But he was once in trouble with the law for over handling stolen goods. In 2011 he was sentenced to court after being charged with dishonestly handling 4,992 tubes of Body Shop cleansing gels worth nearly £40k.

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