Why did Reece leave The Apprentice 2023: Theatre school owner makes sudden exit due to ‘health reasons’

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BBC The Apprentice fans were in for a shock when Lord Sugar revealed that one of the candidates made a sudden exit in last night’s episode

Apprentice fans had  a shock last night as Lord Sugar revealed  Glaswegian theatre school owner, Reece Donnelly, had made a sudden exit from the show. This week the aspiring business moguls were tasked with the challenge of putting on a corporate ‘work away’ day for top clients in Dubai.

The hoard of contestants flew out to the land of luxury, but it seems that contestant Reece didn’t quite make the flight. Lord Sugar revealed the news in the boardroom by saying “Reece wasn’t able to take part in the task and has subsequently left the process," leaving viewers guessing where he had got to.

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Since then, Reece has addressed his surprise departure, stating he had to quit due to “health reasons,” and confirmed  he would not be returning.

“I could not continue in The Apprentice due to being unable to complete the task in Dubai for health reasons,” he told The Daily Star.

“My goal of being on The Apprentice was to showcase that Scotland has amazing businesses and entrepreneurs. I really hope I’ve done that.”

He went on to tell the publication: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time on the show and I’m looking forward to watching my fellow candidates in the rest of the series. I’m so grateful for my time with Lord Sugar and the team."

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A spokesperson for The Apprentice said: “Reece was unable to continue in the process, this was discussed and agreed between Reece and programme-makers.”

Reece Donnelly has surprised fans by leaving The Apprentice (Photo: BBC/Fremantle Media/Ray Burmiston)Reece Donnelly has surprised fans by leaving The Apprentice (Photo: BBC/Fremantle Media/Ray Burmiston)
Reece Donnelly has surprised fans by leaving The Apprentice (Photo: BBC/Fremantle Media/Ray Burmiston) | BBC/Fremantle Media/Ray Burmiston

Although Reece left The Apprentice early, that didn’t stop Lord Sugar making another brutal firing.

Who is Reece Donnelly?

Donnelly is a 25-year-old business owner born in Cambuslang. He attended Trinity High School and started acting aged 6. After graduating from the University of Sunderland with an undergraduate degree in Drama, he set up his theatre school.

Elsewhere, he is the director of KR Management and appeared as part of The Sunday Mail’s Young Scot Awards list. He currently has 10k followers on Instagram and over 300 posts.

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When he was just 19, Reece founded the Theatre School of Scotland and Theatre College of Scotland. After he founded the business in 2017, Donnelly became the youngest person in the UK to own a college.

The Apprentice - who left last night

Although Reece left the The Apprentice early, that didn’t stop Lord Sugar from making another brutal firing. This week safari guide Joe Phillips was cut from the process.

The self-proclaimed “James Bond of the business world” - with a degree in Zoology - was targeted by Lord Sugar as he made the decision to tell top-end clients  they were only entitled to two glasses of water and a glass of juice during their luxury yacht excursion.

BBC The Apprentice - what to expect next week

Next week the remaining contestants will be tasked with the challenge of designing a new children’s lunchbox aimed at six-to-eight-year-olds, along with an app to encourage healthy eating.

For one team, a clear vision helps them take a bite out of the market. On the other, poor decisions and a lack of vision leads to dreary designs.

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