Carina Lepore

British entrepreneur

Carina Lepore
Born	Croydon, London, England
Nationality	British
Education	Harris City Academy Crystal Palace
Occupation	Businesswoman • media personality
Website	www.doughbakehouse.co.uk

Carina Lepore is a British businesswoman and media personality. She is best known for being the 15th winner of The Apprentice. After winning the show, Lepore entered into a 50:50 partnership with Lord Sugar with bakery business Dough Artisan Bakehouse.^[1]

Early life

Lepore was a student at Harris City Academy Crystal Palace from 1998 to 2004, subsequently leaving education when she was 18. After leaving school, Lepore opened a fashion store in Croydon and later went onto to work for retailer Marks and Spencer for ten years. Lepore left her job at M&S in 2017 to join her father's bakery business in Herne Hill, following an incident which caused the site to burn down.^[2] In an interview with The Times, Lepore said: "In large part to help Dad, who was at an all-time low."^[3]

The Apprentice

In 2019, Lepore won the 15th series of British reality TV show The Apprentice. After winning the show, she entered into a 50:50 partnership with Lord Sugar, which ended in 2023 following a mutual agreement. He invested £250,000 into Lepore's bakery business.^[1]^[4]^[5]

Lepore became the most successful Apprentice candidate in history, winning nine out of ten tasks and three of which as the project manager.^[6]

After winning The Apprentice, Lepore told the Press Association, "It's like this euphoric relief. I was so overwhelmed and so happy. It's a feeling that I haven't really felt."^[1]

Dough Artisan Bakehouse

On 8 September 2020, Lepore held a press launch for her second bakery which was opened in Beckenham in South East London.^[7]

During the same month as the launch, a local newspaper reported police were called to Lepore's Beckenham bakery, following complaints raised by residents over a private party which disobeyed coronavirus regulations.^[8]

It was reported that Lord Sugar parted ways with Lepore after nearly four years of being in business together. A spokesperson for Lord Sugar said: "Both parties agreed it was the right decision for the business moving forward, and Carina will take back full control of her business with immediate effect."^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "The Apprentice 2019: Lord Sugar says 'You're hired' to his latest winner". BBC News. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ McKinnell, Ellie (2 February 2020). "Croydon Apprentice winner returns to old school to surprise pupils". MyLondon. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ Membery, York (19 July 2020). "Carina Lepore: I will not fritter away Apprentice £250k prize". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ "The Apprentice Official Website". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Lord Sugar Parts Ways With Another Apprentice Winner After Business Investment". HuffPost UK. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
^ "Carina is now the most successful candidate in Apprentice history". Radio Times. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ Yaqoob, Janine (12 September 2020). "Lord Alan Sugar opens a second bakery but says he worries about his bottom line". Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
^ O'Byrne Mulligan, Euan (30 September 2020). "Police called to Apprentice winner's bakery after Covid party complaints". News Shopper. Retrieved 14 October 2020.