Businessman Tim Campbell is set to return to BBC's The Apprentice after becoming one of the series biggest success stories ever.
The 45-year-old business mogul and first ever winner of the series in 2005, will take over from Claude Littner who takes on a 'reduced' role this series.
The new series kicked off this week with a fresh batch of candidates battling it out to impress Lord Sugar and win a £250,000 investment in their business.
For Tim Campbell it's a journey he's experienced personally, and he's now a successful and wealthy figure in business. However, he wasn't always wealthy and described a tough upbringing as his family struggled to make enough to afford monthly outgoings.
Speaking to thisismoney.co.uk, Tim said: "It was all about the need to make ends meet. Money was scarce – my mum was a single parent with three children to look after. My dad had a record store in Hackney market, London, but he didn't want to be in our lives and made no financial contribution to our upbringing. "
Businessman Tim described how as a family of four, his mum would be "frugal" in their shopping, and only buy from supermarkets featuring discounted deals in order to have enough to pay the household bills.
When Tim landed a place at university to study psychology, he was the first person in the family to attend higher education.
Not wanting to further burden his family, he said: "I didn't want to put any pressure on Mum because I knew she didn't have the money to help me. At one point, I couldn't even afford a Pot Noodle."
Working alongside his studies for Transport for London, Tim described having a part-time job as a "great motivator" for working hard.
As a candidate on The Apprentice in 2005, Tim was the first winner of the hit show and joined Lord Sugar's AMSTRAD company on a £100,000 salary. In later series Lord Sugar invests £250,000 into the winner's business venture, instead of making them an employee within his business empire.
After just two years, Tim left and later founded the Bright Ideas Trust, a charity which helps young people to set up their own businesses.
No longer struggling to make ends meet, Tim described his biggest spend: "A white Mercedes-AMG GLE, three years ago. It cost more than £50,000.
"I still have it and I love driving it.
"I'm also partial to nice watches which cost a few thousand pounds – and I love a well-made suit."
Now a successful businessman, Tim returned to The Apprentice as an advisor to Lord Sugar in 2022 when Claude Littner was forced to take time out due to a bike accident. This year' series will see Tim return whilst Claude appears for two episodes.
In 2012, Tim was recognised for his business accolades and services to charity in the New Years Honours List for Services to Enterprise Culture.
The father of two also donates a significant sum of his earnings to charity, as he revealed: "I think it is important that if you are blessed you share those blessings with others.
"I suffered from testicular cancer years ago, so I saw the proverbial lights flash before my eyes.
"My biggest concern as I get older is prostate cancer. One in eight men get it and the odds are higher for black men: one in four. So I donate to Prostate Cancer UK, along with other health and education charities."
