Leah Totton (born 22 January 1989) is a Northern Irish practising physician, entrepreneur and former model who won the 2013 series of

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

's ''The Apprentice''. Her business plan, a cosmetic clinic chain, named Dr Leah Clinics, co-owned with Alan Sugar, launched in 2014. Their business was a success; with their London clinic winning national awards. Dr Leah Clinics expanded to open further branches in London and Essex & the pair have also launched Dr Leah skincare products. Dr Leah received media attention for her glamorous appearance, her success on the show, the success of her resulting business and for advocacy of improved ethics and integrity in the cosmetic treatment industry. Despite the success of her business she remained committed to NHS and returned to work part-time as a GP in 2017.

Background

Leah Totton grew up in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

, Northern Ireland. She studied medicine at the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

, graduating as a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

in 2011, aged 23 after working as a model in her late teens. She subsequently registered with the

General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...

. In 2013, Totton won the £250,000 prize for business acumen on

's ''The Apprentice'', a British reality television competition that offers the winner an opportunity to start a business with British

business magnate A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

Alan Sugar. Along with Alan Sugar, she set up a chain of ethical Cosmetic Clinics, Dr Leah Clinics. She continued work as a physician within the NHS on a part-time basis.

Dr Leah Clinic

In 2014, Dr Leah Clinic, co-owned with Lord Sugar, opened in central London. There was criticism at the time regarding Totton's young age and level of experience by several members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Alongside Lord Sugar she has gone on to open further Dr Leah Clinic branches in Essex and London. Her Clinics have been voted ‘Best Clinic London’ and awarded ‘Most Trusted UK Clinic 2023’ and reported a yearly turnover of £2.7 million in 2022. The pair also launched a Skincare line, Dr Leah Skincare in October 2022.

Industry standards

Totton has advocated better regulation and improved standards in the cosmetic industry. She endorsed a 2013 review by Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, that expressed concern over lack of proper qualifications for some

dermal filler Injectable filler (injectable cosmetic filler, injectable facial filler) is a soft tissue filler injected into the skin at different depths to help fill in facial wrinkles, provide facial volume, and augment facial features: restoring a smoother ap ...

treatments. Her expressed reason for being drawn to the field was to improve standards and help reduce adverse outcomes.

Personal life

She has frequently spoken out on women's issues.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Totton, Leah 1988 births Living people Alumni of the University of East Anglia Models from Derry (city) The Apprentice (franchise) winners Businesspeople from Derry (city) The Apprentice (British TV series) candidates Medical doctors from Derry (city)