THE search is on for Lord Sugar's next apprentice, with the hit show returning to our screens tonight, and he might not have to look too far.

One hopeful, who will be going head-to-head with 17 other candidates to battle it out to become the businessman's next partner is no stranger to the area.

Richard Woods, 32, a former resident of Sunninghill and Sunningdale, will feature in the show.

He said: "I'm delighted to be on the show, it's really exciting and a life ambition of mine to do something like this and to test myself against other like-minded entrepreneurs and before I knew it I was standing in front of Alan Sugar."

Before finding himself fighting it out in the boardroom, Richard was involved in product development, which he said found him "walking up and down high streets with a suitcase full of samples" before moving into web development.

The budding entrepreneur, who set up marketing agency, Yomp, with his brother Tim, studied Business with Entrepreneurship at Southampton Solent University.

Now living in Windlesham, he said: "I was on a yomp on the side of a mountain with my brother and my Dad and the name yomp means to march over changing terrain and that's what we do for our clients."

Richard has also started another venture called Digital Trail Blazer, which is described as the 'ultimate sales and marketing campaign'.

However, he kept tight-lipped about his time at the show, though he added: "It is nuts, the most crazy thing is when you first sit in that waiting room to be called into the boardroom and you just feel like a fan sitting there but then you know you have you're going to have to go in and face Alan Sugar." 

For more information about Richard's business initiatives visit: www.YompMarketing.com and www.DigitalTrailBlazer.co.uk