A FORMER St Mark’s student and salon owner is among 18 businessmen and women taking part in the 2023 series of The Apprentice.

Dani Donovan is starring in the long running show which sees young business people battling to win a quarter of a million pound investment with billionaire boss, Lord Alan Sugar.

So far, Dani has seen off three competitors. Dani travelled to Antigua for the first task and was busy in the kitchen making Bao Buns in the second.

The 26-year-old runs Mermane, offering Russian hair extensions and styling, in The Square, Sawbridgeworth but before that Dani went to St Mark’s West Essex Catholic School in Harlow.

Describing herself as “a different kind of business owner”. She believes that “business doesn’t need to be fancy words and suits”, and her philosophy is that if you’re passionate about something, you will succeed.

She admits that she is “never content with what [she’s] achieved”, but regards this as a strength as well as a weakness, as it means she’s constantly pushing forward for bigger and better things.

Dani believes that she should be the one to receive Lord Sugar’s investment, because her business fills “a huge gap in the market” and “feels really current” – in fact, it “baffles [her] that no one has done it yet”.