Former Yavneh pupil Lawrence Rosenberg reaches The Apprentice final five

Former Yavneh College pupil Lawrence Rosenberg has secured his place in the final five of this year’s The Apprentice, moving a step closer to becoming Lord Sugar’s next business partner and £250,000 investment.

The 27-year-old public relations specialist from Watford and former president of the University of Manchester’s Jewish Society, will now face the notoriously demanding interview stage of the BBC competition.

Rosenberg described reaching the final five as “totally surreal.

“It’s nothing like anything I’ve felt before. Especially after 10 gruelling tasks to get here,” he said.

“It’s a wild mix of joy, pride, relief and achievement, all bundled into one very grateful person… it’s incredible to have made it to this point.”

Rosenberg, who has held leadership roles within the Jewish community including with JLGB, Aish UK and the Union of Jewish Students, also thanked wife, family, friends and fans “for all the love and support in getting me to this point,” posting on LinkedIn that “the final 5 was always my goal coming into the show, and to get here feels like a dream.”

Last night’s episode saw candidates tasked with designing a pet product and creating a social media campaign to pitch to major UK retailers. Rosenberg did enough to secure his place in the final five as the process took a dramatic turn, with Kieran McCartney quitting after losing as project manager and Lord Sugar firing Rothna Akhtar.

Rosenberg’s journey to this stage has not been without challenges.

“Coming back from two brutal bottom threes means I’ve had to really fight for my place in the final five,” he said. “But the battle to be here wasn’t just in those boardrooms – it was in the day-to-day of the tasks to build as much credit in the bank.”

Looking back, he cited the gamified fitness task, where he served as project manager, as one of his toughest experiences.

“Loads went wrong, our game wasn’t the best, and I was trying to sell the unsellable to a group of industry investors. He also described the opening task in Hong Kong as “a nightmare”, with candidates competing to stand out while avoiding early mistakes.

Despite the pressure, Rosenberg said the process revealed a new level of resilience.

“You’ve got to stay so focused over such a long period of time – it’s nothing like anything I’ve experienced before. Coming out the other side having managed all that pressure makes me feel like I can handle anything.”

He also spoke warmly about his fellow contestants.

“Pretty much every candidate is someone I’ll consider a close friend after the experience,” he said. “I feel very humbled to call them all mates.”

Attention now turns to the notorious interview stage, widely regarded as the toughest phase of the competition, where candidates’ business plans and professional track records are put under intense scrutiny.

Rosenberg will face a panel of Lord Sugar’s most trusted advisers including Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Mike Soutar and Linda Plant.

Rosenberg entered the process as one of the PR industry’s rising stars, having been named in PRWeek’s 30 Under 30 in 2024. His business plan centres on transforming the public relations sector through technology while preserving its human element.

“PR is one of the only major sectors that hasn’t undergone a meaningful tech-led transformation,” Rosenberg has said. “I want to supercharge PR professionals, not replace them.”

Today, he runs his own agency, Rosenberg Media, and remains actively involved in Jewish communal life. He is also a founding member and captain of Beitar Bushey Football Club, which competes in the Maccabi GB Southern Football League.

Now, just weeks away from the final, he will be hoping his resilience – and vision for the future of PR – can withstand the toughest test yet.

The interview stage of The Apprentice airs on Thursday 9 April