Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells hit back at critics who compared the show to Love Island and insists women can be both glamorous and serious businesswomen.
The 28-year-old Manchester Crown barrister is using her £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar to franchise her boxing studio, where she hopes to teach women how to protect themselves against recent violent crimes against women and girls.
She defeated 35-year-old salon owner Rochelle Anthony in the second consecutive women’s final on the BBC One show on Thursday night.
Marnie impressed Lord Sugar in the winner-take-all challenge after pitching her boxing gym idea to hundreds of industry experts at London’s Grand Connaught Rooms.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline about Love Island comparisons, the 2023 winner said: “Women can have it all and to say we have to choose between glamorous or good business women is an insult. We can do both and we can do it all.
Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells hit back at critics who compared the show to Love Island and insists women can be both glamorous and serious businesswomen
The barrister is using her £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar to franchise her boxing studio, where she hopes to teach women how to protect themselves
She defeated salon owner Rochelle Anthony in the second consecutive women’s final on the BBC One show on Thursday night
“It’s okay for women to be online and be expressive and show their fashion, makeup and hair. Time has passed and we are in a more digital age.
“The saying ‘Find a woman who can do both’ really shouldn’t even exist. It goes without saying that we are all of these things. Women can wear many hats and be many different people, and it’s really an unfair story.”
Thousands of women felt unsafe on the streets of London after the tragic death in March 2021 of Sarah Everard, who was brutally murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, and the brutal murder of Zara Aleena last June.
In January this year, former Met police officer David Carrick was jailed for life after pleading guilty to 85 serious crimes, including rape and assault, during a 17-year campaign of terror against women.
This has led to women distrusting the police: just 42 per cent said in a YouGov poll this month they had confidence in the Met as a whole.
Double gold medalist Marnie hopes her gym in London’s Bronx can teach women the skills to regain their strength on the road, as she insists knowing how to ‘strike’ successfully can help you to make sure.
She said: “The benefits of boxing go far beyond physicality and fitness. They really bring a sense of community.
“One thing that is very close to my heart, especially when it comes to teaching women to box, is teaching the right skill and the right technique. I think women are often bullied into boxercise and boxfit, but these lessons won’t protect you.
Marnie hopes she can instill confidence in women who attend her boxing gym by teaching them how to throw a punch, which in turn can help them stay safe on the streets
Although Lord Sugar admits that he knows nothing about boxing, he invested in Marnie’s business and crowned her the 17th series winner.
“If you’re ever going to throw a punch and have to protect yourself, it’s really important that women know how to transfer the weight to a punch and really take care of themselves.” I strongly believe in learning real boxing, even if you have no ambitions to fight. We need the real thing.
“I had a session the other day with 70 women in attendance and the atmosphere there where everyone came together and supported each other…it was great to see.
“I’ve heard women say, ‘I’ve walked past doors 20 times,’ but they were too nervous to come in and now they love it.”
It’s such a shame to think how many more women we could reach and influence if we could make this entrance and door more open and inclusive.
“I hope it becomes a real differentiator for my gym, because when women see women there and a woman is at the helm, they will really feel connected.”
Marnie fended off 17 contestants in series 17 of the BBC One series, in which contestants sought Lord Sugar’s investment by taking part in a series of tasks.
She was put to the test by Karren Brady and Tim Campbell, the show’s first winner in 2005, and questioned about her plan by business giants Claude Littner, Mike Soutar and Linda Plant.
But nothing could faze the boxing champion after learning the importance of strength and determination at a young age.
Marnie impressed Lord Sugar in the winner-take-all challenge after pitching her boxing gym idea to hundreds of industry experts at London’s Grand Connaught Rooms.
She enlisted the help of her former co-stars, including Simba Rwambiwa and Megan Hornby, who both stayed in the competition until later.
The Apprentice winner believes women can be both glamorous and credible businesswomen, saying it’s an “insult” to contestants to be compared to Love Island contestants
Marnie told MailOnline that she was not worried about this because she learned to be strong and motivated at a young age after losing her father when she was eight.
Marnie suddenly lost her father when she was eight and entered a boxing gym for the first time to express her grief and overwhelming feelings of anger and confusion.
She said: “I did not grieve until much later. In two days I was back at school, back to normal life, because that was my mother’s approach. We had to keep going.
“That’s why I’m so straight and honest, and it really came through on the show. I will get straight to the point, I am a person without airs and graces. No matter how hard it is, you have to persevere and that is my attitude to life.
“But for me, that sadness turned into anger and frustration. It wasn’t until I boxed that I felt an outlet for the first time. Until then nothing worked.
“When sad things happen to you, it evokes feelings and the beauty of boxing is that aggression, anger and sadness were actually celebrated inside me. When I first started boxing and I was a fighter and I was always at the front, I was really celebrated for that.
“Suddenly the feeling went from something negative to something I could channel very well and really push myself further and become a champion.”
Marnie says the next step will be to franchise her three-week-old Bronx boxing gym in London’s Camberwell, and she hopes, despite Lord Sugar’s admission that he knows nothing about the sport, that their partnership will be a force for it will be.
She said: “We’ve only been open for three weeks today so we’re still in our infancy but we’ve got a big future ahead of us and Lord Sugar and I need to discuss what we’re going to do next.
“One of our big differentiators is that we can so easily become part of the Bronx. You can join and do as many lessons as you like or you can pay per session it’s £10 per session and we have group classes. Sessions that take place every night from 18:00 to 19:00, 19:00 to 20:00 and 20:00 to 21:00 are very easy and simple.
“I wanted to make it accessible and affordable to as many people as possible to live up to the message behind the gym that boxing is for everyone.”
- Apprentice UK Series 17 can be watched in full on BBC iPlayer
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
