Traffic to our site and app soared this week — not, alas, because of our painstakingly assembled mayoral candidate interviews — but because of an influx of celebrities in Harrogate.

Firstly, James Bond star Pierce Brosnan was spotted drinking in the Fat Badger. A colleague was gutted to later discover she was there at the same time, and even more gutted when she found out four days later she’d missed him again at Rudding Park.

Then Morrissey added to his elusive magic by being photographed on a remote street called Cut Throat Lane in Shaw Mills, which seemed about as likely as the Otley Road cycleway expansion being revived — which then proceeded to also happen this week.

Perhaps the only quirkier story was the news that it’s now council policy to eliminate all apostrophes from road signs. I’ve been canvassing reaction, which you can read here.

Rachel Woolford, who owns fitness venture North Studio on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate, was catapulted into fame this week when Lord Sugar hired her on The Apprentice, which led to another spike in traffic on Thursday night.

Here’s a story worth keeping an eye on: North Yorkshire Council issued its ‘call for sites’ this week as part of the process to draw up a new planning blueprint for the county. Where the boundaries are drawn will have huge significance for years to come.

Finally if, like me, you’ve eaten at the The General Tarleton at Ferrensby, once a well known foodie hotspot, you may have noticed it was put on the market this week after being closed for several months.

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The brains behind Harrogate’s North Studio, Rachel Woolford, was tonight named as the winner of The Apprentice on BBC.

Rachel, who began the 12-week process alongside 17 other hopefuls, has landed herself a £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar.

The lucky winner, who set up her Cold Bath Road fitness business just last year, went head-to-head with Bognor Regis pie shop owner Phil Turner in tonight’s episode.

The investment will go towards expanding her business, which started in Leeds, across northern England. It offers small group fitness classes, including running, boxing, HIIT and reformer pilates.

For their last task, the two finalists had to launch their businesses.

Rachel Woolford and Phil Turner in the final. Pic: BBC Pictures.

Rachel’s team created a digital billboard and a virtual reality tour around one of her proposed gyms. She also pitched her business plan to Lord Sugar, aides Baroness Brady and Tim Campbell, as well as a room of industry experts.

In her presentation, Rachel said she planned to open five gyms in “bustling locations” in the north, including York, Manchester and Newcastle.

The Leeds woman, who called her company Studio Build in the episode, said her actual business — North Studio — focusses on “high energy and inclusive group fitness classes, which cost a little less than a personal trainer, but still offering that personal feel”.

But her success was not without hurdles, as she faced tough questions from fitness moguls, such as representatives from Barry’s, F45 and Rumble UK.

They questioned how Rachel could replicate the “personal and community” feel she said her business centres around, as well how she will ensure client and staff retention.

North Studio Harrogate

Once pitches were over, the candidates faced the infamous boardroom for the final time.

As Lord Sugar deliberated on his decision, Baroness Brady said about Rachel:

“This business is her life and her passion for it really comes across. The issue really is just how expensive it is to open gyms, and she’ll burn through your investment pretty quickly.”

Tim Campbell, the first ever winner of The Apprentice, added:

“I think the thing with Rachel is that she’s going into a great industry sector and she’s a great advocate for her product and service. It’s about the scalability of that. Can she systemise what she’s done very well at two gyms over at many, many more?”

Former contestants joined Rachel for the final episode. Pic: BBC Pictures.

After one last hit at persuasion from the two finalists, Lord Sugar made his final decision.

He said:

“Let me conclude here. This is a very tough decision, I’ve got to say because I’ve got two very, very credible people in front of me.”

“I’ve got Rachel who claims she’s making money and that she’s going to make even more when she gets the second gym up and running but gyms are with all due respect, two-a-penny.

“Specialist pies are not and it’s a market that I’m very interested in, but how can I be interested in it if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel? There’s a loss-making business at the moment which you tell me is going to turn around and be okay and that’s my dilemma.”

But it was northerner Rachel who took home the crown, and the money.

Lord Sugar concluded:

“It’s very, very hard for me. I’m having trouble here.

“But my gut feeling is telling me that, Rachel, you’re going to be my business partner.”

Now £250,000 richer and Lord Sugar’s newest business partner, Rachel Woolford is one-step-closer to expanding North Studio across the region.

Rachel said in the episode:

“To take part in the process has been incredible and to come out a winner is just something beyond my wildest dreams.

“I was 24-years-old when I started my business. I was just a girl from Leeds and now I cannot believe it, I’m going into business with Lord Sugar and he’s investing in me.”

For now, Lord Sugar’s search for his next business partner is over.

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The owner of a Harrogate business has made it to the final of the BBC’s The Apprentice.

Rachel Woolford, owner of North Studio on Cold Bath Road, is just one of two remaining contestants competing for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment.

The two North Studio sites, in Harrogate and Leeds, currently offer small group fitness classes, including running, reformer pilates, boxing and HIIT workouts.

Over the 11-week series, the 28-year-old has sold and run a tour in Budapest, created a vegan alternative to cheese and even flogged paddling pools on a TV shopping channel.

Now, the Leeds woman has one final chance at convincing the British billionaire she is worthy of the prize money.

But her success has not come without obstacles.

In last night’s episode, the five remaining candidates were interviewed — and their business plans scrutinised — by business tycoons.

Rachel’s plan is to open three more North Studio sites in the north of England.

But Claude Littner, long-term business associate of Lord Sugar, crunched Rachel’s numbers — and not in the way she had hoped.

After failing to turn up with her company’s accounts, Mr Littner told Rachel she had made a “very serious mistake” before the interview had even started.

She told Mr Littner she spent more than £250,000 on both North Studio gyms, funded partly through a bank loan, plus monthly finances spent on equipment. But without the figures in front of him, he responded:

“All I can see is losses, loans. It’s impossible to get any idea.”

Rachel Woolford preparing for her interview. Pic: BBC Pictures.

Before Rachel thought the interviews could get much worse, they did.

Publishing pioneer Mike Soutar bought both website domains Rachel had anticipated on purchasing for her new gyms.

Her business plan included opening a site in Newcastle – or more specifically, Jesmond.

However, Mr Soutar beat Rachel to buying her desired website domain for Newcastle (www.northstudionewcastle.co.uk), as well as the Jesmond domain (www.northstudiojesmond.co.uk) – pointing out two flaws in her business plan.

The interview did, however, resolve in Rachel purchasing both domains from Mr Soutar for £34 plus VAT.

Mike Suter. Pic: BBC Pictures.

But despite the rocky interviews, Rachel was praised for her passion about her business.

Mr Soutar told Lord Sugar there may be financial “difficulties” when scaling her business, but added if it can be done right “she is definitely the person to do it”.

Lord Sugar even created a new tagline for Rachel: “You want people to get ripped in Ripon”.

When asked to convince Lord Sugar why she should be his business partner, Rachel said:

“In the first year, I turned over £85,000. However, for six months of that year, we were closed because of the pandemic.

“Now I’ve turned it into a profitable business, and I’ve got a model there that we can copy to other cities, to other locations, which I believe is successful.

“With your mentorship, I will put my all into this, as I already do. I’m willing to learn and I will continue to put my entire life into it.”

Rachel was the first contestant through to the grand final – and is now just one task away from £250,000.

It will be a battle between fitness and food as she faces owner of family-run pie business, Phil Turner, in next week’s final.

The Apprentice finalists Rachel Woolford and Phil Turner. Pic: BBC Pictures.

The final of The Apprentice will air on Thursday, April 18, at 9pm on BBC One.

You can read our interview with Rachel Woolford here.

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