Who is Dean Franklin? The Apprentice 2025 contestant and air-con company owner
Dean sees himself as similar to Lord Sugar, but will the business mogul think the same?
As we near the end of January and suffer from the post-Traitors blues, there is one TV show that'll fill the reality TV hole we've all been missing... The Apprentice!
Returning with a brand new instalment on BBC One and iPlayer, season 19 is set to be the most demanding yet as 18 candidates go head-to-head to become Lord Sugar's next business partner.
One of those candidates is family man Dean Franklin, who applied for the series in order to put himself "in uncomfortable situations and to test myself on how I deal with the tasks at hand".
"I'm trying to become comfortable with being uncomfortable," explained Dean. "To try new things and prove that things are possible if you just give them a go."
So, what is Dean's business and how does he want to work with Lord Sugar to make his dreams a reality? Read on to find out more about The Apprentice candidate.
Who is Dean Franklin?
Occupation: Air conditioning company owner
Location: Essex
Dean set up his air conditioning business during the pandemic, which saw him go on to win the Best Tradesperson of the Year award in 2022-23.
"We have an incredible reputation within the industry and outstanding reviews on our platforms," he said.
Likening himself to Lord Sugar, Dean can relate to "a lot of things he has said and done in the past".
Dean continued: "He is very passionate about science and electronics and that’s pretty much what air conditioning is – this is what he has done in his businesses and it’s what he knows. This is right up his street. I’m just hoping he can show me the ropes and together we can get to the next level."
What is Dean Franklin's business plan?
Dean is keen to grow and expand his current business.
He explained: "It's an air conditioning company that supplies and installs air conditioning units in homes or commercial properties."
Does Dean Franklin have social media?
He does! Dean can be followed via the Instagram handle @deanfranklin__, however most of the action of his business goes down on its own account.
His air conditioning company, ADL Air Conditioning has over 9,000 followers on Instagram and shares the latest works on homes and buildings.
The business can be followed on Instagram @adl_airconditioning.
Read more on The Apprentice 2025 contestants:
- Amber-Rose Badrudin
- Anisa Khan
- Aoibheann Walsh
- Carlo Brancati
- Chisola Chitambala
- Emma Rothwell
- Emma Street
- Frederick Afrifa
- Dr Jana Denzel
- Jonny Heaver
- Jordan Dargan
- Keir Shave
- Liam Snellin
- Max England
- Melica Moshiri
- Mia Collins
- Nadia Suliaman
The Apprentice returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Thursday 30th January 2025.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
