Reece Donnelly’s surprise departure from The Apprentice was the biggest scandal of this year’s series.
He has insisted he left the show for “medical reasons” and said his health is more important than completing the trial.
However, Web exclusively revealed that Reece was dropped from the show after drinking alcohol on a flight to Dubai, which infuriated Lord Sugar.
During Thursday’s episode, his exit was made off-camera, with Lord Sugar simply declaring, “As you know, Reece was unable to attend the task and subsequently left the process.”
While Reece, 25, may not have met his goal of securing Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment, we take a look at Reece’s journey to The Apprentice stardom, from working as a child actor to becoming the CEO of a theater school .
Who is Reece Donnelly? How the axed Apprentice star started as a child actor and made business history as the youngest CEO of a further education college in the UK
ACTING CAREER
Reece began working in acting at the age of six after securing a television role on CBBC’s Carrie and David’s Popshop.
The aspiring actor has also appeared in Waterloo Road and in a T-Mobile ad, and has done voice work for the NHS and Nickelodeon.
He also has a passion for theater having performed with organizations such as Barlinne Prison in partnership with Citizens Theater and the Kibble Secure Center in partnership with West College Scotland.
Reece studied drama at the University of Sunderland and was awarded the James McAvoy Scholarship at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2014.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Reece founded the Theater School of Scotland in 2017 and is Principal and Director of the company.
Last year he launched the Theater College of Scotland for older students and is the youngest executive director of a further education college in the UK. and says he has “all the experience, drive and personality” to succeed.
Drinking: Web exclusively revealed that Reece was kicked out of the show after drinking alcohol on a flight to Dubai, which infuriated Lord Sugar (pictured last month)
PERSONAL LIFE
Reece lives in Scotland and is not believed to be in a relationship.
It was recently revealed that Reece’s half-brother is currently serving a life sentence for a cocaine-fueled murder.
Nico Donnelly was jailed in 2016 for the brutal stabbing of 21-year-old Jamie Johnstone in Sandyhills, Glasgow. The 29-year-old later had his sentence extended for violent behavior behind bars.
Reece claimed he didn’t know his brother despite their four-year age difference.
“I do not know this family member in question. I was only recently made aware of this message. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families affected,” he told the Daily Record.
Reece’s mother, Debbie, 51, said it was her “worst fear” that Reece’s achievements might be “tarnished” by his half-sibling’s criminal past, and called Reece a “completely different person”.
Jailed: It was recently revealed that Reece’s half-brother, Nico Donnelly, is currently serving a life sentence for a cocaine-fueled murder
TIME ON THE APPRENTICE
Reece secured his place on the show with his confidence, saying he had “all the experience, drive and personality” to succeed.
In his show statement, he claimed he would “turn over a million pounds before I’m thirty” and said he was determined to become the first Scottish candidate to secure Lord Sugar’s investment.
However, he admitted he could be guilty of neglecting grunt work, saying “administrative or accounting tasks aren’t quite my cup of tea,” but this makes him a better leader, able to delegate .
He went to the show to prove: “Scotland is full of forward-thinking entrepreneurs and that we are not really a haggis-eating, kilt-wearing nation.”
While his time on the show was cut short, he had a patchy track record, winning two assignments but losing three — one when he was a project manager and another where he was brought back to fight in the boardroom.
One thing to keep in mind: Reece secured his place on The Apprentice with his confidence, saying he had “all the experience, the drive and the personality” to succeed
EXIT THE SHOW
In Thursday’s episode, the team was tasked with hosting a company day for a high-end client in Dubai, but one team was let down a man after Reece allegedly failed to follow sobriety rules.
Lord Sugar was “furious” with the decision and “couldn’t believe anyone would risk securing their £250,000 investment on a drink,” a TV source told Web.
However, the Glasgow Theater School owner insists he left of his own accord after deciding to ‘listen’ to his body.
He has since garnered the support of his former fellow apprentices, who have rallied around him by sharing social media posts that read, “Health is Wealth.”
Lord Sugar is known for being a strict disciplinarian who would not take kindly to anyone who breaks the rules.
Following Reece’s departure after week six, a TV source told Web: “Reece was sent home and was not filming in Dubai.
“Producers were unimpressed when he had several alcoholic beverages on the flight despite being banned.
“Lord Sugar was obviously furious, he couldn’t believe anyone would risk securing his £250,000 investment for a drink.
“He later informed the candidates in the boardroom that Reece had been removed from the process.”
A spokesman for Apprentice said: “Reece was unable to proceed with the process, this was discussed and agreed between Reece and the program makers.”
Passion for acting: Reece began working in the acting industry at the age of six after securing a TV role on CBBC’s Carrie and David’s Popshop
WHAT’S NEXT?
When news broke of his departure from The Apprentice, Reece announced that he would be starting a new podcast about his business career, including “All the Times I’ve Fucked It Up.”
Making the announcement on TikTok, he said, “Anyone who knows me or follows me or has watched me on Lord Sugar’s Apprentice will know that I’ve been on a massive journey of self-development over the past five years.
“Now at 26 I sit here as the CEO of two successful companies so I want to make it my mission to educate, inspire and empower everyone else in Scotland to step up and try to achieve that, what they want to achieve.
“I’ve screwed up more than I made up in the business and I want to make that very clear from the start, but this is an opportunity for me to sit down with those who inspire me, who trained me and who I’ve lined some very special guests.
“I’ve got business coaches, my life coach, I’ve got friends, I’ve got huge CEOs, but ultimately we’re going to sit down and talk about the mistakes, the glitches and the make-ups our businesses have made over the years.
“But most importantly, we’re going to have a really good laugh.”
New role: When news broke of his departure from The Apprentice, Reece announced he was starting a new podcast about his business career