‘I absolutely loved my Apprentice journey’, says former Yavneh pupil after advisors savage business plan
The PR entrepreneur from Watford thanks the community for its support after exiting the hit BBC show
Former Yavneh College pupil Lawrence Rosenberg has spoken of his pride at reaching the penultimate stage of BBC’s The Apprentice as he thanked the community for its support throughout the process.
The 27-year-old public relations specialist from Watford was eliminated following the programme’s notoriously demanding interview stage, having made it to the last five candidates – the first Jewish candidate to reach that the final stages in a decade.
Speaking exclusively to Jewish News, Rosenberg said: “I absolutely loved it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I threw myself into everything.
“I tried to enjoy the moments that were there to enjoy and stay light-hearted about the more serious ones. I feel like I got the full experience.”
In tonight’s episode, Lord Sugar’s advisors were seen giving each of the final five candidates a tough grilling on their business plans. Quizzing Rosenberg, they complained about the length of his 75-page business plans and suggested he was looking for £5.5m, rather than the £250,000 investment up for grabs in the process.
Reflecting on his exit, he added: “The doors that open from getting to the final five are almost as important as getting to the final. It’s already opened doors for me in terms of starting my business, the people I’ve been able to speak to, and opportunities in TV and radio.”
Rosenberg runs his own PR agency, Rosenberg Media, offering media training, keynote speaking and communications support, and said he is now focused on building the business following his time on the show.
He added that he is also keen to use the platform to give back, including supporting charities and community initiatives, and said he would be happy to work with Jewish organisations and schools.
Rosenberg said he was proud of how far he progressed in the process, having set himself the goal of reaching the final five.
He also spoke about the support he received during the series, saying he had been “so appreciative” of the number of people from the Jewish community who had reached out to him.
Reaching the interview stage is widely regarded as the toughest phase of the process, where candidates are grilled by leading business figures including Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Mike Soutar and Linda Plant.
Rosenberg said the experience was even more intense than it appears on screen.
“It’s not what you see on TV,” he said. “What looked like my five minute interview with Linda Plant was actually about 40 minutes.
“They are really tough and they are there to pull you apart, but at the same time it’s such a cool experience to have people of that stature looking at your business plan.”
Among the show’s standout moments, Rosenberg cited “selling on the market in an egg costume doing a cockney accent and getting praised by Lord Sugar”.
“That was amazing,” he said. “When you get the chance to just be yourself and enjoy it, those are the best moments.”
Rosenberg’s Jewish roots came up a few times during the process, although the former JLGB youth leader said he did not actively bring it into the boardroom himself.
He wore a Magen David necklace every day – a gift from his wife which he kisses each morning.
He also recalled a light-hearted moment during a task in Egypt that did not make it to air, when greetings became briefly confused in the boardroom.
During the corporate task, Rosenberg had greeted clients with “as-salamu alaykum”, but later, when Lord Sugar referenced it in the boardroom, responded with “Shabbat shalom”, mistakenly thinking it was Shabbat.
“Lord Sugar replied: ‘You’ve missed it by a day — it’s Sunday’. I’d completely lost track of the days in there,” he said.
He added that fellow candidates were curious to learn more about his background.
“A lot of them hadn’t really interacted with Jewish people before, so it was great answering their questions,” he said. “I always try to see questions as curiosity rather than ignorance.”
Rosenberg said the show has already led to a wave of new opportunities and he is now focused on building his business.
“The Apprentice is a platform and what you choose to do with it is your decision,” he said.
Rosenberg has a long-standing involvement with the Jewish community. A former president of the University of Manchester’s Jewish Society, he also acted as a campus representative for Aish UK.
Outside of work, he is a founding member and captain of Beitar Bushey Football Club, which competes in the Maccabi GB Southern Football League.
A Spurs fan, he has balanced his professional ambitions with strong community involvement from a young age, combining business, leadership and sport. His journey on the show saw him emerge as one of the more resilient candidates, surviving tough boardroom moments to reach the final five.
Rosenberg said he would “absolutely encourage” others to apply for the show, but stressed the importance of resilience and having a clear purpose.
“It’s far more of a psychological process than a business one,” he said. “You have to be resilient and go in with a clear idea of what you want to get out of it.”
He added: “I enjoyed it and I think that’s potentially why I got as far as I did. Don’t go in thinking that you’re going to win have no other plans if you don’t. You’ve got to try and make the most of it.”
For Rosenberg, reaching the final five has already delivered significant opportunities. “The doors that open at that stage are almost as important as getting to the final”.
And although he didn’t, Rosenberg leaves the process having achieved his goal and with new opportunities already emerging beyond the show.
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