The Apprentice star Karishma Vijay has announced her engagement in a dramatic social media reveal, coming just one day before the highly anticipated final of the BBC One series. The 28-year-old businesswoman took to Instagram to share what she described as the 'hardest soft launch' with her fiancé, posting a series of romantic beach photographs that quickly captured public attention.
Romantic Beach Photographs Mark the Occasion
Karishma's engagement announcement featured several carefully curated images showing the couple in various romantic poses on a sandy beach. In the first photograph, she was seen running hand-in-hand with her fiancé while wearing a flowing white dress, though his face remained strategically hidden from view. Another image captured the moment he lifted her into the air, while a third clearly displayed her sparkling diamond engagement ring for the camera.
Additional photographs showed Karishma standing alone in the sea, posing gracefully before the camera, followed by images of the happy couple wrapping their arms around each other and drawing hearts together in the sand. The entire collection created a narrative of romantic celebration that resonated strongly with her followers.
Flood of Congratulations from Apprentice Co-Stars
Beneath the Instagram post, Karishma simply wrote 'Hardest soft launch,' which immediately prompted an outpouring of congratulatory messages from fans and fellow Apprentice contestants alike. Her co-star Priyesh Bathia was among the first to respond with enthusiastic capital letters: 'SOOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU.'
Roxy Hamedi, another Apprentice colleague, quickly added: 'So happy for you both!' while other friends and fans expressed their delight with messages like 'Congratulations!!! You deserve it all' and 'Finally. So happy for you.' One particularly enthusiastic supporter wrote: 'What a week it’s turning out to be! Huge congrats Karishma! Now win the series!'
The Apprentice Final Approaches
This personal celebration comes at a crucial professional moment for Karishma, who was recently revealed as one of two finalists for The Apprentice 2026 alongside Pascha Myhill. The pair emerged victorious from a tense semi-final interview episode that aired last week, where their business plans underwent rigorous scrutiny from Lord Sugar's business associates.
During those challenging interviews, candidates faced their business plans being 'pulled apart and even blind tested in front of the cameras,' according to reports. Three contestants - Dan Miller, Lawrence Rosenberg, and Priyesh Bathia - did not make the cut following the infamous interview process, following in the footsteps of Kieran McCartney and Rothna Akhtar who left the competition the previous week.
Final Showdown with Lord Sugar
This week's finale will see recruiting consultant Pascha and beauty brand owner Karishma join forces with some of their former co-stars to bring their business plans to life in one final effort to win over Lord Sugar. Pascha's business plan focuses on establishing a recruitment company within private healthcare, while Karishma seeks investment to 'elevate her current business.'
The finalists will present their ideas to leading experts and previous Apprentice stars before heading to the boardroom for one last time. The ultimate prize is a 50/50 partnership with Lord Sugar alongside a substantial £250,000 investment into their business venture.
Reflections from Eliminated Candidates
Lawrence Rosenberg, one of the recently eliminated candidates, reflected on his experience: 'Incredible - it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m going home having been a part of every episode. That’s an amazing achievement and an honour in itself - nobody will ever be able to take away that I made it to the final five of one of the most competitive processes on television.'
Dan Miller expressed similar sentiments: 'I feel immensely proud to have made it to the final five. My interviews went so well, and it was a fantastic validation for me to know the business I have built up over the years is really good.' He added that having his business plan 'grilled by Lord Sugar's experts was incredible' and humorously noted it 'probably saved me about £100k in consulting fees.'
Priyesh Bathia acknowledged his disappointment while maintaining perspective: 'It’s obviously disappointing to come this far in The Apprentice and fall just short of the final. You invest so much time, energy, and belief into the process, so getting fired at this stage does sting. That said, I’m incredibly proud of how far I got.'
Previous Week's Dramatic Exits
The previous week saw dramatic departures from the competition, with Kieran McCartney quitting the show after back-to-back task failures. In a particularly memorable moment, he stormed out of the boardroom before Lord Sugar could officially fire him, following a self-imposed 'win or walk' agreement he had struck with the business mogul.
Alongside Kieran's departure, his teammate Rothna Akhtar was also fired from the process. Reflecting on her exit, she said: 'It was disappointing in that immediate moment, but it wasn't a complete shock because I was standing against Dan, who I knew had a really good business. I was in shock because I was so close to the final five and I just felt this wave of disappointment.'
The Apprentice final airs Thursday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer, marking the culmination of weeks of intense business challenges and personal growth for all contestants involved.
