An Apprentice candidate who describes herself as having "the energy of a Duracell bunny, the sex appeal of Jessica Rabbit, and a brain like Einstein" is married to a Jewish businessman who once appeared on another BBC reality series.

Luisa Zissman, the 25-year-old owner of a cupcake company, is married to Oliver Zissman.

The couple live in St Albans, where Mrs Zissman opened the 1950s themed Dixie's Cupcakery in 2011, selling artisan and made-to-order treats.

Now she is hoping to triumph in the ninth series of the contest and walk away with a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar.

She may well have taken tips on surviving a television contest from her husband, who five years ago appeared on the BBC Three series The Last Millionaire. The programme pitted entrepreneurs against each other on business tasks in foreign locations. Mr Zissman, who told the BBC at the time that "anyone who says they can do without money is a liar", was a winner in the second episode of the series.

Once part of Jewish Care's Next Generation committee, Mr Zissman founded Total Fitness, a company renting and selling gym equipment to individuals and businesses, with his brother Elliot in 1997. Within a few years, they had developed a celebrity clientele, working with well-known names including Julia Roberts and Glenn Close, and by 2007 the business was turning over £5.2 million a year.

In 2004 the brothers were named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year at the Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business Awards.

Writing on the Dixie's Cupcakery Facebook page in 2011, Ms Zissman posted a link to a blog post about the creation of the company. "Hopefully will put a few rumours to rest about my 'rich husband!'," she said. "I wish… I wouldn't work and would be a spa queen if that were the case."