Kent schoolboy Jonny Heaver became a candidate for this year’s The Apprentice by the skin of his teeth.

The business owner who grew up in Deal put in his application to take part in the popular BBC show with just two minutes to spare.

But his last minute effort paid off, and he is one of a group of 18 initial contestants on the show for its present series.

In last night’s episode (spoiler alert) he survived another week and is now one of the remaining 15 candidates.

Mr Heaver, 23, spoke to KentOnline this week about the application process.

He revealed: “It all starts with applying just through an application form.

“I did it two minutes before the deadline, in a very Jonny last-minute fashion.

“I woke up the next morning about 9am, just to see if I got a response and actually, I did.

“And they said, you know, we want to meet you, Jonny, can you come down to London?

“So it was in that moment, I thought, can I get down from Liverpool to London in a couple of hours? And I thought, why not?

“So I then quickly rushed down to London.”

Mr Heaver is now based in Liverpool, running a tutoring company, Achiever Tutoring. But he grew up in the seaside town of Deal, where his mum still lives today.

He was first educated at Deal Parochial School, then went to Canterbury Steiner School for four years and later joined Dover College when he was 14.

He graduated from Liverpool University and has continued his link to the city through his present job.

If he wins The Apprentice, he would benefit from a £250,000 investment and a 50/50 partnership with business magnate Lord Alan Sugar.

Lord Sugar is famous in the series for his bluntness and ability to see through corporate waffle and bluff from candidates.

In the first episode of this series, on January, 30, he told the candidates their CVs had “more c**p than the River Thames”.

But is he as tough and hard-edged as he appears?

Mr Heaver said: “Lord Sugar is only a little bit scary and he is a great guy.

“What I like about him is the fact that he's got a passion for investing in young people and businesses.

“He loves seeing businesses grow from their conception to scaling up. I think that passion genuinely comes through when we're filming as well.

“His opening line about the River Thames encapsulates him well

“He definitely is a straight talker and he'll say his mind, which I love.”

This is the 19th series of The Apprentice and this Sunday is the 20th anniversary of its first ever series.

For each episode the candidates are split into two teams to fulfil a task and usually the winners are the ones who make the most profit.

In last night’s episode, they were sent to Stratford-upon-Avon and wider Warwickshire to buy nine odd items, such as fleeces, wine, rhubarb and pocket watches at the lowest possible prices.

Mr Heaver, who negotiated buying the wine, was in the winning team as it spent only £535.15. The opponents spent £639.41.

Each week the person most at fault in the losing group is fired. The most cornered candidates bicker and blame each other to avoid that fate.

The candidates all share one house during the process. What are they like off camera?

Mr Heaver said: “We're all incredibly passionate about our businesses and we do want to secure that investment

“So it's getting that balance between standing up for yourself, also treating others with respect. But I can honestly say I've come away from this process with friends for life.

“Naturally, there are some people who I get on better with than others. But on the whole, there is no one in that house that I wouldn't meet up with now.

“So it shows that we can separate business from life.

“Even if you do squabble on task, you can at the end of the day separate that from your personal relationships.”

He summed up: “I think everyday in the boardroom or the shared house is a good day.

“If I did win, obviously it would be fantastic.

“But even if I don't, it's this experience, which I did it for. The exposure, the experiences with Lord Sugar and the team. It’s been fantastic.”

His mother Elizabeth Heaver is a retired English teacher from Sir Roger Manwood’s School in Sandwich.

She told KentOnline: “Jonny is very much a go-getter, but in a nice way because he's also very compassionate. I think he's got integrity, which I really hope comes across.

“That's my biggest fear as a mum, with the show, that he would come across as quite ruthless. I would be really sad if that happened.

“But I don't think it has, so I'm optimistic that he will be shown as he really is.”

Former Apprentice stars from Kent include Stephanie Affleck, who is from Chislehurst, near Bromley, and made it to the 2022 semi-final.

Kings Hill’s Felipe Alviar-Baquero appeared on the show in 2014.

The 19th series of The Apprentice is shown on BBC One at 9pm every Thursday until April 17.