The line-up of contestants set to appear in the next series of The Apprentice has been leaked! And it's already looking like a dramatic one.

It seems like ages since it was last on, so we're chuffed the show returns to BBC1 in two weeks for a new series. Hit 'continue' to see the list...

Former squaddie Simon Smith battled a drug problem in the past. Now a satellite engineer, he served in Bosnia and Northern Ireland and now has a baby daughter.

The 'babe' this time is Shazia Wahab. She battled former employer Allen & Overy in 2003 and won a claim for victimisation.... a force to be reckoned with?

Michael Sophocles might be the new Syed. Apparently he's already bragging: "It's only a matter of time before my life will completely change."

Also up there is one Nicholas de Lacy Brown, a trainee barrister and property developer, and Lindi Mngaza, who claims to be descended from royalty.

Lots of the others seem to be toffs and trainee barristers (not to be confused with trainee baristas), and almost all have exotic names.

An insider told The Sun: "It's a brilliant lineup and not been without its rows. Some of the girls didn't get on and split themselves into two factions. To top it all, Sir Alan's even grumpier than usual."

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