Karren Brady has been a fixture in The Apprentice’s boardroom since the show’s early days, serving as Lord Sugar’s eagle-eyed adviser on the hunt for the most promising entrepreneurial talent.
As season 19 gears up to launch this week, 18 eager candidates are poised to demonstrate their business acumen in hopes of securing a life-changing £250,000 investment and the invaluable guidance of Lord Sugar himself.
Over the next 12 weeks, viewers will witness these hopeful entrepreneurs tackle a gamut of business challenges, with the competition intensifying until only one remains standing in the April finale.
Lord Sugar won’t be calling the shots solo as he’ll have the sharp insights of his trusted aides, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE, to help him decide who should be shown the door.
With the anticipation for Season 19 mounting, let’s delve into the life of Baroness Brady beyond the boardroom.
Inside The Apprentice star Karren Brady’s life from famous husband to ‘terrifying’ brain surgery (Image: BBC)
The Apprentice star Baroness Karren Brady is the vice-chairman of West Ham football club. (Image: GETTY)
Parents
Karren Brady was born in Edmonton in April 1969 and grew up under the watchful eyes of her parents, Terry and Rita Brady, alongside her older brother Darren.
She credits her parents with instilling in her a robust sense of self-worth and confidence.
In an interview with The Guardian, she reflected: “My Irish father, Terry, was a self-made millionaire, who owned a printing business. He showed me that nothing compensates for hard work.
“My Italian mum, Rita, was a housewife. They both came from large families. We were an incredibly close family because we knew we could trust them and vice versa.
“They let us be, but there were boundaries you knew not to cross. Dad was the bad cop one look and Darren and I would run for dear life!”
Entrepeneur
From a young age, Karren displayed an entrepreneurial spirit, engaging in “money-making schemes” such as setting up car washes and providing “manicures and pedicures” with her brother Darren when they were just six.
Despite facing a setback when she was turned down for a journalism course at Harlow College, Karren’s determination led her to kickstart her career at advertising giant Saatchi and Saatchi and swiftly climb the ladder until landing a role at LBC as an advertising account executive.
Impressively, by the tender age of 23, Karren took on the formidable challenge of managing director at Birmingham City Football Club during a time when the club was in administration.
Her professional website states that she became the youngest Managing Director of a UK plc after floating the club on the London Stock Exchange just four years later.
Karren Brady, the resilient star of The Apprentice, has been holding the fort as vice-chairman of West Ham United since 2010, showcasing her enduring presence in the sports industry.
The Apprentice star Baroness Karren Brady is married to Canadian former soccer player Paul Peschisolido. (Image: GETTY)
Health
The businesswoman faced a personal crisis in 2006 when a routine health screening uncovered a brain aneurysm, leaving her to confront a daunting 30% chance of survival as forecasted by her doctors.
Recounting to The Guardian, she shared: “The more you read on the internet, the worse it gets – you panic. I was terrified that I would die or have a stroke at any minute.
“The only time I cried was looking at the brain aneurysm foundation website: it was so frightening.”
Baroness Brady opened up about her health scare that led to a five-and-a-half-hour operation and intensive care, from which she thankfully made a full recovery.
“In the seven days between deciding on the treatment and having surgery, I was in such a state of shock. I felt a sort of sadness that it had happened to me – you do think, why me?
“I realised how fragile life was. What really scared me, though, was the thought of my children being without me.”
Famous husband
The business mogul is married to Canadian ex-footballer and former Burton Albion coach Paul Peschisolido, who is related to NHL star Mike Ricci.
The couple met back in 1993 when Karren was the managing director of Birmingham City FC, tying the knot in 1996 and have since had two children, Sophia and Paolo.
Discussing their enduring relationship with The Sun, Baroness Brady shared a heartfelt insight: “My husband is my best friend. Our careers sort of went like this [she points in different directions].
“When the kids were younger, he was a footballer travelling all over the world and I was based at home. And then when he retired, I moved to London to run West Ham.
“We’ve always been there for each other and supported one another. There’s never been any jealousy or one-upmanship or anything like that.
“What we have in common is the complete love for both of our children, and their health and wellbeing is at the centre of everything we do.”
The Apprentice season 19 premieres on Thursday, January 30, at 9pm on One and iPlayer.