Aldridge dance teacher hopes to impress Lord Sugar

Jemma Bird is a 26-year-old operations manager who rates Simon Cowell as her idol.

"I'm always the girl that nearly wins, I'm hoping this time it will be different," she said of appearing on the hit BBC show, which starts next week.

Jemma is a trained dancer and dance teacher and passionate about the arts. Her proudest business achievement to date has been founding an entertainment cabaret agency, The Pin-Ups, for which she scouts performers, sources bookings, produces performances and markets the business.

Watch Jemma introduce herself

The Pin-Ups were set up four years ago while Jemma was studying dance at university and originally had just a handful of girls on the books. But now there are a bevy of performers who put on burlesque shows.

Speaking to the Express & Star about the project last year, Miss Bird said: "It is a lot of work and it does feel as if I have two full-time jobs. But it's great and I get a lot of enjoyment from it.

"Having the extra girls has also meant I am able to take more of a back seat from the performing while still putting on the shows, and I am able to concentrate on a few other things."

This year's Apprentice will also feature a hypnotherapist with her own matchmaking firm and a pub quiz boss.

The series begins with a double bill next week with programmes on consecutive days, on Tuesday and Wednesday, before settling into a regular midweek 9pm slot.