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Apprentice Winner Dean Franklin REFUSES to Apologize for Sex Toy Scandal and Climate Change Flub!

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Dean Franklin, the latest Apprentice winner, expressed his pride in becoming the first tradesperson in nine years to receive Lord Sugar’s investment following his initial fear of the show’s intimidating boardroom.

The 34-year-old proprietor of an air conditioning business remained calm and composed to clinch a £250,000 prize from a mogul, after he outperformed his competitor, Anisa Khan, a successful pizza entrepreneur and straight-A student, during the BBC final held on Thursday night.

During a unique conversation with TopMob, Dean shared that he found the rigorous filming challenging and often ended up calling his wife, Chloe, every week in tears, longing for her and their two little ones who were dearly missed.

Born in Dagenham, Dean confessed that the most difficult hurdle he had to overcome was enduring Lord Sugar’s rigorous interrogation, resulting in awkward moments where he struggled to articulate his understanding of climate change.

However, although he acknowledges being overwhelmed by the stress, Dean maintains that he holds no remorse when faced by Mike Soutar and a social media image depicting a sex toy attached to one of his air conditioners during their interview.

To put it simply, Dean claimed that at that point, he felt victory with Lord Sugar’s investment was within reach because his business plan went without question or criticism.

He shared that he hadn’t ever been in front of a camera prior to filming The Apprentice, which was entirely unfamiliar territory for him. He found it incredibly challenging.

As a craftsman, I’m more accustomed to working behind the scenes rather than appearing on camera, delivering corporate speeches, or engaging in public speaking scenarios.

To enter that boardroom, I was terrified inside. Even though I appeared calm on the outside, my heart pounded as if racing at 100 mph. The situation was truly frightening for me.

During the job interviews, I found myself struggling terribly. Sitting in that interview chair, my thoughts seemed to vanish entirely, leaving me unable to construct even a simple sentence. It was truly dismal.

In all my existence, I’ve never encountered such overwhelming stress. Every word that crossed my lips seemed insignificant. My thoughts became muddled, and I found myself unable to articulate anything coherent.

As a die-hard admirer, I can only imagine the nerve-wracking experience Dean must have endured when quizzed about his business savvy by Lord Sugar’s shrewd advisors – Claude Littner included. Yet, he stands tall, unashamed and unfazed, following the exposure of his adult store escapades on primetime television.

He mentioned that he found it amusing then and continues to do so now. Working there was no different from what you might expect in any other job setting, given that it was a sex shop, not a church. It’s just the nature of the work.

It might surprise you, but I have more images similar to that on my Instagram as we frequently visit sex shops for this individual, making it a regular part of our routine now.

With that performance, it seemed like they had run out of better options. Going in there to have my business plan critiqued, if they responded with such weak arguments, then I must have been on the right track for success.

Following a tough battle against 18 other contestants, Dean is now the first tradesperson to secure Lord Sugar’s substantial investment since plumber Joseph Valente claimed victory in 2015.

I’m thrilled beyond words that I landed the job instead of Anisa, a brilliant alumna from the prestigious London School of Economics who had an innovative fusion restaurant concept blending Italian and Indian flavors into mouthwatering takeout dishes such as the irresistible chicken tikka masala pizza.

Instead of emphasizing that Anisa excelled in her academic background, Dean mentions that he managed to graduate with any qualifications at all, unlike the high scores he obtained at GCSE and A-level.

He mentioned that Anisa was a remarkable candidate, excelling in every subject, leading the class, and then there’s myself.

My journey through school was tough, and I barely managed to graduate with some General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs). Yet, looking back at where I am today in my business career, it underscores the idea that you don’t necessarily need a high level of education to achieve success in entrepreneurship.

The father of two takes great pride in having appeared on the BBC show, representing tradespeople, emphasizing that entrepreneurs are not limited to working within the corporate sector.

He stated: “My enterprise is well-established, and we’ve got a team of engineers on board. I believe this serves as an inspiration for the craftsmen among us, thinking, ‘If he managed to build his company, then perhaps I could too.’

‘Tradespeople form the foundation of Britain, and each one is essentially an entrepreneur running their own venture. Whether they work independently or not, they are all, in essence, business owners. The absence of a formal business attire doesn’t negate the fact that they are engaged in business.’

This year, being the sole father among the participants, Dean expressed that spending time away from his family was particularly challenging for him.

For over two decades, this businessman has been in a loving partnership with his wife, Chloe, whom he’s known since they were both 16 years old. Together, they bought a house and welcomed children into their family by the time they reached their mid-twenties.

He thought participating in Lord Sugar’s program, where contestants reside at a Hampstead mansion valued over £17.5 million, would offer a change of pace from his responsibilities as a parent and managing his business.

Because contestants can communicate with their loved ones just once a week, the air conditioning specialist found that his “vacation” swiftly transformed into a terrible experience.

Initially, when I started the process and interacted with all the contestants, I had assumed that around half of them would be parents.

However, I was the sole parent during the show, making the experience more challenging since there was no one for me to connect with. I was the only one feeling the absence of my children and family. It was incredibly tough.

Initially, I harbored this notion that participating in the show would be akin to a dream vacation – detached from reality, free of phones, and solitude as my only companion. However, the first week smashed me like a massive brick wall.

It wasn’t until later that I fully understood the extent of my longing for them, and as time went on, the impact became more pronounced. I found myself grappling with difficulties.

Each week, you receive one 10-minute call from home via FaceTime. Instead of conversing, my spouse and I usually end up shedding tears together. The calls are incredibly emotional.

During the UK’s summer heatwave amidst the Covid-19 lockdown, Dean established his air conditioning company.

Together with a friend and their spouses, he jointly owns ADL Air Conditioning. Regrettably, they’ve recently been compelled to relinquish their stakes to Lord Sugar.

Dean humorously pointed out that he was temporarily staying on the couch since he hadn’t finalized the specifics (of a business deal), referring to selling his wife’s stocks.

Indeed, our spouses continue to play active roles within our shared company. Since everything that belongs to us also belongs to them, their involvement doesn’t change anything significantly.

‘As for their future involvement, it remains unclear, but I can assure you they’ll play a part. They’re fully conscious of the circumstances and content with their role in them.’

Winning his apprentice signifies a significant achievement in Dean’s life, following his pledge to excel in the competition, despite being turned down by casting directors during his audition for the show the previous year.

From an early age, Dean demonstrated a knack for finding great deals while still in his teenage years. This innate talent for sales has fueled his ambition to thrive as an entrepreneur since his youth.

Following his earlier-this-week pre-recorded victory that he’s kept hidden from his two kids, Dean has arranged a grand celebration at a wedding venue. Here, he intends to stream the finale live to both family and friends, and he’s optimistically hoping Lord Sugar, who resides nearby in Brentwood, could grace the event as his special guest.

Given that my boss is temporarily based at his vacation residence in Florida, I’ll step up as the lead negotiator during our upcoming event.

In my youth, I used to visit the local store to purchase “The Loot,” which served as a sort of physical marketplace for me. At around 13 or 14 years old, I would persuade my parents to accompany me so I could buy a Nintendo or similar items. Rather than keeping them for myself, I would then resell them.

Over the years, I’ve been involved in various forms of trading, be it buying and selling goods, and as time passed, my focus shifted towards purchasing and selling automobiles, a venture that has kept me quite busy.

For years, I’ve been telling my wife that I aspired to compete on The Apprentice and emerge victorious. That dream has been a constant in our conversations. Now, I am proud to say that I have fulfilled that ambition and reached my goal.

On Thursday, I’m organizing a grand celebration at a rented wedding venue. We’ll be watching the results on a large screen and partying hard afterwards.

As much as I’d love to have Lord Sugar over for a chat right now, unfortunately, I can’t since he resides just a short 20-minute journey from here in Florida.

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2025-04-18 00:10

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