| Carina Lepore | |
| Birth Place: | Croydon, London, England |
| Nationality: | British |
| Education: | Harris City Academy Crystal Palace |
| Occupation: | Businesswoman • media personality |
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]
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]
See main article: The Apprentice (British series 15). 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.[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."
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."