"Of course I’m disappointed, but I’m also proud."
The final of The Apprentice 2025 aired on Thursday, April 17, and Anisa Khan went head-to-head with Dean Franklin to win Lord Alan Sugar’s £250,000 investment.
For their final task, Dean and Anisa had to launch their businesses. Anisa’s business involved pizzas with a unique fusion of Indian and Italian flavours.
The 26-year-old businesswoman called her business Zaal Pizza. She aimed to have ten new dark kitchens across five years.
Lord Sugar said: “My worry is how you get people to come to it.”
In the boardroom, Anisa said: “Throughout this process, I’ve proven myself as a strong leader.
“I’ve consistently put my neck on the line. I am an all-rounder candidate.
“I’m very confident in my abilities in business, and I’m very confident in my product.
“I do genuinely believe Indian-style pizzas are the future of the food business.
“Through dark kitchens, the costs are low and the profit margins are high.
“The scalability is there, and I genuinely believe that this is going to be the next big thing.”
Despite Anisa Khan being a worthy candidate throughout the process, Dean was eventually crowned the winner of The Apprentice.
However, in an interview with The Sun, Anisa revealed that she had still been in touch with Lord Sugar since wrapping up filming.
She explained: “Me and Lord Sugar have had a lot of contact actually in the past year. I’ve been in contact with his team.
“We’ve had emails back and forth. I have his WhatsApp, so we have been in contact.
“After the final, he did call to say he is still interested in me. He’s still interested in my business.
“He just said, ‘Let the dust settle a bit and then we’ll have conversations again’.”
Anisa went on to state her regret that the show did not show enough of her skill set.
She said: “I wish they showed more of the skills we used or highlighted our successes for everyone.
“I remember watching some things where, for example, I got a £250,000 investment initially.
“With that, I remember I negotiated really well. I said this point and that point, and I fought really hard to get that.
“But on TV, all you see is me going £250,000 and shaking hands.”
Anisa also detailed her experience of living in the house with the other candidates.
She continued: “I honestly found it difficult the first few weeks because there was no room that was empty.
“It was hard to get privacy, and obviously, we shared a bedroom as well. And in our downtime, we would just talk.
“We got to know each other very, very well.
“We all got along, and at the end of the day, we’re all adults.
“So we had to differentiate the difference between the process and the house.
“There was no massive fight or anything like that in the house.
“For me, because I was giving my all to the task, when I came to the house, I always wanted to relax and just chill.
“Sometimes it’s hard when you’re with your teammates because then it’s like work gets brought home.
“But I socialised with everyone and also made sure I had my own personal time to myself.”
On Instagram, underneath a video montage of her time on The Apprentice, Anisa wrote:
“I didn’t win the investment. I’m not Lord Sugar’s business partner — I’m on my own.
“But I can face that, and I’m ready for it. I gave this process everything I had.
“I was the first ever contestant to be Project Manager in the first two weeks, and the first British Bangladeshi finalist.
“That means so much to me, my family, and my community.
“Of course I’m disappointed, but I’m also proud. Because I showed up, I worked hard, and I stayed true to myself.
“Bombay Pizza has already had so much demand, and I’m so excited for what’s ahead.
“Thank you to my family, friends, and everyone who’s supported me through this journey. This is just the beginning.”
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When the candidates for The Apprentice 2025 were announced, Anisa Khan enthused:
“I’m ready to tackle every task head-on and show I have what it takes to succeed.”
“I’m driven, ambitious, and determined to carve my own path.
“My business is small now, but it has immense potential, with a unique concept that’s already proven its appeal.
“With Lord Sugar’s support, I can turn it into a leading brand and deliver exceptional results.”
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