The Apprentice: Meet the Irish rugby player and 'corporate panther' hoping to win

Conor Gilsenan from Mullingar says he is hard working and 'hyper-motivated by money' — he's among the 16 candidates on the new series which starts this evening

Conor Gilsenan among the 16 contestants on The Apprentice. Pictures: (left) Brendan Moran, Sportsfile; (right) Ray Burmiston/BBC

Former professional rugby player, Conor Gilsenan, is up against an ex-RAF member, a nursery owner and a man who hopes to become one of the "bad boys of the bath bomb world" in his bid to get cash from Alan Sugar in the new series of The Apprentice.

Series 16 of the BBC show will see 16 entrepreneurs battle it out to win £250,000 worth of investment into their business.