Meet the former Sunderland University student looking to become Alan Sugar’s business partner in new series of BBC's The Apprentice

Reece Donnelly graduated from the city’s university with a BA Honours in Drama and is hoping to catch the eye of Lord Sugar when the popular series returns to our screens on Thursday, January 5.

It won’t be Reece’s first appearance on national television having appeared in the BBC drama Waterloo Road and also voice acted in Nickelodeon.

Reece’s work as an actor has seen him do various community drama projects with the organisations, including a stint in Barlinnie Prison in partnership with The Citizens Theatre, and Kibble Secure Centre in partnership with West College Scotland.

In 2017, at the age of 20, he founded the Theatre School of Scotland and Theatre College of Scotland in Glasgow – making him the youngest college owner in the UK with many of his students landing roles with big companies like Disney, BBC, CBeebies, CBBC and Netflix.

Speaking ahead of taking part in the show, Reece, 25, said: “I’m here to prove that Scotland is filled with forward-thinking entrepreneurs and that we are not in fact a haggis-eating, kilt-wearing nation.”

SEE ALSO: Sunderland teacher Syed receives an MBE for his work making education accessible to the Bengali community

Reece is also the director of children's talent agency, KR Management and made The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards final in 2018.

He has accumulated a following of 9,000 people on Instagram, where he shares photos of his nights out and luxury holidays in places like New York and Dubai.

The Apprentice winner will receive a £250,000 business investment from Lord Sugar.