The Apprentice 2017: Meet the candidates hoping to become Lord Sugar’s new business partner

These are the 18 hopefuls who'll be taken to task in the boardroom

(BBC/Jim Marks)

Warm up the dramatic sounds of Prokofiev's “Montagues and Capulets” - Lord Sugar’s hunt for a brand new business partner is almost upon us as The Apprentice returns for its 13th series tonight (4 October).

Lord Sugar will once again be joined by aides Karren Brady and Claude Littner who returns for his third series.

The 18 brave souls who’ll be entering the boardroom in the hope of securing Sugar’s £250,000 investment have officially been unveiled - scroll through below to meet the candidates you'll be spending the next few months watching.

This year’s candidates include Jeff Wan - a business analyst and semi-pro hip-hop dancer - PR and Marketing Manager Jade English and self-nicknamed 'Tory boy' Elliot Van Emden.

Others hoping to follow in the footsteps of past winners Joseph Valente and Leah Totten include Clothing Company Owner Bushra Shaikh who stated that "in the words of Destiny's Child: 'I'm an independent woman.'"

The new series will see the candidates compete in numerous tasks ranging from creating their very own burgers to running a doggy daycare.

“We’re in strange times now, with Brexit,” said Lord Sugar. “But be under no illusion, in this process I’m the one who decides who’s going to remain and I’m the one who decides who’s going to leave - simple as that.

Last year’s series was won by Alana Spencer, who beat Courtney Wood to become Lord Sugar’s business partner.

The Apprentice 2017 begins tonight (4 October) at 9pm on BBC One.