Highlights
- Vijay, 28, beat fellow finalist Pascha Myhill to win The Apprentice.
- Her father raised her and her sister alone despite community doubt.
- She plans to grow beauty brand Kishkin with Lord Sugar's backing.
Win against odds
Vijay beat fellow finalist Pascha Myhill, a recruitment consultant from Reading, Berkshire, in a task requiring both women to build a brand and advertising campaign for their respective business ideas.
Previously fired candidates returned to support both finalists before they presented to Lord Sugar and a panel of industry experts.
Familiar faces from the show's 20-year history including Margaret Mountford, Nick Hewer, Ricky Martin and Dean Franklin were also present in the room.
Lord Sugar said it was "a close competition" after "two outstanding pitches by two brilliant young businesswomen."
He praised Karishma as "a proper grafter" with the entrepreneurial spirit he always looks for, adding that the cosmetics industry is one he knows well and that he is confident their partnership will "pave the way for a bright future."
Vijay plans to channel Lord Sugar's investment into growing Kishkin, her beauty brand, into a household nameInstagram/karishmua
Karishma described the past few years of her life as "nothing short of a s*** storm," saying everything that could go wrong did go wrong. "I felt incredibly unlucky. Then I found this show," she said.
She added that she is "eternally grateful" for the experience, saying: "Had I not hit rock bottom, it would have never been this unreal. I wouldn't have probably been this grateful if it had come easily to me."
She kept her composure in the boardroom when Lord Sugar delivered the verdict but admitted she screamed in her car straight afterwards.
"I was so blown away, so shocked but I kept it very cool. Then I got in my car and I was screaming. It was just insane," she said.
She also revealed that contestants have no idea who has won after filming wraps and must wait up to six months to find out the result. "Having all that waiting time, it was a lot of anxiety. I'm just happy with the outcome," she said.
She also praised fellow finalist Myhill, saying she had "so much love" for her and would not hear any suggestion that Myhill did not deserve her place in the final.
Vijay plans to channel Lord Sugar's investment into growing Kishkin, her beauty brand, into a household name.
"It's going to be a brand that really made it, with young girls queuing up to buy it," she said.
She added that she had not even watched the show before applying, something she described as "so cheeky" in hindsight.
