Dublin man's progress on BBC show was followed by his many relations in Tipperary

The youngest candidate in the latest series of the BBC television show The Apprentice may not have reached the final, but he had the distinction of reaching the top three before hearing those dreaded words from business tycoon Lord Alan Sugar - “you’re fired”.

21-year-old Dubliner Jordan Dargan was the first black/mixed race Irish contestant in the show’s history.

Jordan spent many summers on holidays in Clonmel and his progress in the show was followed closely by his many relations in this area.

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Jerry Dargan, who lives in Fethard, is his grandfather, and his grandmother was the late Barbara Dargan.

His uncle, Tommy Purcell, works at Coolmore. The rest of the Dargan family locally are based in Clonmel, having originally hailed from Baron Park.

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Jordan, who lives in Dublin 15, runs his own 3D animation business, Rendify Studios.

In his final appearance on the show, he was told by Alan Sugar that he had a very difficult decision to make. Jordan had started from scratch with an idea and Alan Sugar said he was very impressed with the manner in which he had worked his way through the process.

Lord Sugar said he had a feeling that Jordan was on the show “too early”.

He said he didn’t do this for many people, before giving Jordan his contact details.

“It’s a genuine offer,” he said, before wishing Jordan well. He suggested he would get in touch with him when he felt he had moved “to the next level”.

Jordan Dargan said that Alan Sugar’s offer meant the world to him.

“I feel like I came into this process as a boy and I am leaving as a man,” he stated shortly before his departure.
“I’m excited for what the future holds”.

As a long-time fan of the series, Jordan said he had always dreamed of making his debut on such a well-loved and respected platform as The Apprentice.

He said he was living that dream as this series’ youngest candidate, and wanted to show the youth out there the creative power at their fingertips through his 3D animation business.

He says that his biggest success to date has been collaborating with Craftd, the world’s fastest-growing men’s jewellery brand. This collaboration received over three million views across social media.

“I want to turn my one-man band into an orchestra of the world’s most talented 3D artists to take my business to the next level,” he says.

“I’m here to prove that age is just a number and location is just a time zone.

“Hard work and persistence can take you far, regardless of where you’re from or your years on this earth”.