The Apprentice candidates 2024 including Chorley man Paul Bowen from Bowen Pies

The Apprentice is due to return on February 1 with 18 new contestants hoping to secure Lord Alan Sugar's £250,000 investment.

Amongst the candidates is a Dragon's Den reject, a Britain's Got Talent contestant and Chorley man Paul Bowen, who works as a director in his family business 'Bowen Pies'.

Founded in Adlington in 1994, Bowen Pies now has three stores across Chorley and recently announced it was launching a home delivery service too.

Hoping to prove as popular as his family's pies, 34-year-old Paul is competing in the upcoming series of The Apprentice and says he is looking to unite his passion for business with Lord Sugar’s strategic expertise.

Paul told the BBC that his biggest business success was "securing a deal with Manchester City Football Club and supplying them with pies for the past five years", but when asked what his biggest business fail was, he said "I’ve only failed in small ways, as that’s the only way to see what works. My biggest failure personally has been with the stock market. Let’s just say I won’t be swapping pies for shares any time soon!"

Aside from business, Paul also appeared on First Dates in 2018 where he revealed he has been bald since aged 20 and actually wears a wig. If that was not suprising enough he also told the BBC in his pre-Apprentice interview: "I’ve raced in British Motocross, road bikes and recently been riding speedway at a semi-professional level. I’m bike mad!"

When asked why he deserves Lord Sugar’s investment, Paul answered: "I’m seeking investment of Lord Sugar’s time and knowledge. I have great ideas and great business acumen, along with a work hard attitude. My organisation and planning is my weakness. But with Lord Sugar’s strategy and my passion and ideas, I could make him Lord of the Pies."

Posting on Instagram only this morning, Paul said: "@lord_sugar , get the roller warmed up and make sure there’s enough ink in the pen to write that 250k cheque 💰 @apprenticeuk it’s time to get powered by pies 🥧 let’s go 🚀"