Karishma Vijay

Karishma Vijay
BornApril 1997 (age 29)
Ashford, Surrey, England
Alma materSt George's, University of London (BSc)
Occupations
TelevisionThe Apprentice
TikTok information
Page
Years active2019–present
Genres
Followers498,000
Last updated: 8 April 2026
Websitekishkin.com

Karishma Vijay (born April 1997) is an English businessowner and influencer. After founding the cosmetics company Kishkin, she won the twentieth series of the BBC competition series The Apprentice in 2026.

Life and career

Vijay was born in April 1997 in Ashford, Surrey.[1][2] She was born into an Indian-British family and is a Hindu.[3] She was primarily raised by her father, who she considers a central figure in her life.[4] Her family had a history of running successful businesses, but she said she is the first woman in her bloodline to take on this role.[5] She described the first ten years of her life as "in extreme poverty".[6]

Aged 24, Vijay was asked to make social media content for an agency, but convinced the owner she should be hired to revamp their online presence to appeal to young people. She worked there for five years, before starting the cosmetics company Kishkin.[6][7] She became interested in the industry after discovering a type of rosehip oil could cure her acne.[8] She founded the skincare infused beauty company to combat a growing trend of overconsumption of ineffective skincare and cosmetics.[9] As well as a businesswoman, Vijay is also a social media influencer and posts skincare and cosmetics videos to apps including TikTok and Instagram.[10]

In 2026, Vijay was announced as a contestant on the twentieth series of the BBC competition series The Apprentice.[11][12] Her proposed business plan for Lord Sugar involved him investing into Kishkin to make it a "global obsession".[13][14]

Vijay applied to be on The Apprentice after a large shipment of goods worth £25,000 for her business were involved in a ship capsizing following a typhoon in Hong Kong. She had used her entire life savings to start the business, and the goods were uninsured, so she hoped winning the show would rescue her financially.[15] She has admitted that she had not seen The Apprentice regularly prior to her application, affirming that she was not on it as a fan, but as someone hoping to make their business a success.[10][16]

Vijay quickly became a fan-favourite with viewers.[17] She became the bookies' favourite to win the series,[18][19] with Digital Spy billing her a "very strong asset".[20] She ultimately won the competition and received the £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar.[21] In response, Sugar said that Vijay was "a proper grafter" with "entrepreneurial spirit". Vijay said her participation in The Apprentice made her more confident and outgoing.[22]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2026 The Apprentice Winner Series 20 [23]
This Morning Guest S38 E69 [24]
The Apprentice: Unfinished Business Episode: "The Final"

References

  1. ↑ Garnsworthy, Jenny. "Candidates for new series of The Apprentice revealed including Surrey beauty brand owner". Surrey Live. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  2. ↑ "Karishma VIJAY personal appointments". Gov.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Apprentice Star Opens Up About Family, Sacrifice, and Success Ft. Karishma Vijay". Unpolished. Spotify. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "The Apprentice 2026 winner revealed as she opens up on rollercoaster journey to Lord Sugar's investment". The Independent. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Agrawal, Manav. "The South Asian Candidates of The Apprentice 2026". Desi Blitz. Archived from the original on 15 April 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 "I won The Apprentice, I went from extreme poverty to £400,000 yearly sales". INews. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Pharo, Jen. "In it to win it". New!. Retrieved 3 April 2026 – via Readly.
  8. ↑ "Karishma has saved The Apprentice – by having a brain". The I. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Meet Karishma Vijay". BBC. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 Mensah, Katelyn. "Who is Karishma Vijay? The Apprentice 2026 candidate and beauty brand owner". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  11. ↑ Garnsworthy, Jenny. "The Apprentice 2026: Meet the 20 candidates, from a barbershop owner to an AI consultant". The Independent. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  12. ↑ Mensah, Katelyn. "Who left The Apprentice this week? All the eliminated candidates from season 20". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Katnoria, Nathan. "The Apprentice 2026 contestants – including who's already been fired". Heat. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "The Apprentice 2026 candidates - Meet the hopefuls competing for Lord Sugar's investment in series 20". BBC News. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Apprentice winner says she's done 'something huge'". BBC News. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  16. ↑ Corbin, Tianna. "BBC The Apprentice candidate reels 'not good enough' as they intervene". Wales Online. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  17. ↑ Kitchener, Shaun. "The Apprentice fans have picked their winner already: "Cancel the rest of the series"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "The Apprentice 2026 Odds: Karishma and Kieran NEW 2/1 Favourites After Shock Triple Firing". OLBG. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "The Apprentice Winner Odds: Karishma Vijay 2/1 New Favourite After Latest Task Win". OLBG. Archived from the original on 10 April 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  20. ↑ Kitchener, Shaun. "The Apprentice fans call out "disrespect" of candidate after "worst pitch in history"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Apprentice winner reveals her plans with Lord Sugar's £250k investment". The Independent. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "The Apprentice 2026 winner revealed - "Nothing in my life will ever compare"". BBC Media Centre. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  23. ↑ Mensah, Katelyn. "The Apprentice 2026 candidates: Meet the contestants facing Lord Sugar". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Season 38 - Episode 69". ITVX. 9 April 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
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