The winner of Celebrity Apprentice Australia 2022 has been crowned with former NRL great, Benji Marshall taking his place as champion.
In a nail-biting finale, Benji went head-to-head against TV presenter, Darren McMullen, earning a whopping $487,105 for his charity Souths Cares.
During the season, Benji’s main focus was the “messaging” that he was delivering to the “kids” and he stayed true to his word.
Benji Marshall’s Speech During the Finale Was Inspiring
During a speech at his event, Benji proved why he was the true winner of the series.
“I grew up in a small town called Whakatāne and it was tough for me I gotta admit,” he said, before adding: “I played 346 first-grade games, I played 31 tests for my country. I won a golden boot, I won a premiership and the one thing that got me to where I am today, was hard work and believing in myself.
“Because, there are going to be times, guys, when people don’t believe in you…people will tell you you’re not good enough. That’s a part of life. Everyone told me I was too small, everyone told me I was too slow, everyone told me I wasn’t going to make it.
“And do you know what? I didn’t need to prove any of them wrong. I just had to prove myself right. And if I can do it where I’ve come from as a kid, you can do it.”
Benji was assisted by eliminated celebrities Woody Whitelaw, Bronte Campbell and Vince Colosimo who did everything — and we mean everything — to win sponsorships for an all-out event.
Held at Benji’s old stomping ground, Leichhardt Oval, the “most amazing event” he had ever been a part of included a star-studded performance by The Wiggles complete with Big Bus Sydney bringing in families from all over Sydney.
Why Is Benji’s Charity So Important to Him?
Souths Cares is an independent not-for-profit institution, closely affiliated with the South Sydney Rabbitohs Football Club.
They support disadvantaged, marginalised and Indigenous youth and families with a specific focus on education, training, health and employment — something that is close to Benji’s heart.
“A lot of these kids from this charity remind me of me as a kid,” Benji told mentor Janine Allis when she asked why he was so emotional at the thought of being sponsored by so many brands.
“You’re one of the good guys,” she told him and honestly, our hearts are bursting!
“This is something I would be able to remember forever with my son,” Benji said during the episode, speaking of his child Fox whom he shares with his wife, Zoe Marshall.
Throughout the entire season, Benji showed the biggest heart and promise, never failing to think about the children who would benefit from his win.
How Much Did Darren McMullen Earn for His Charity Feel the Magic?
Another heartwarming moment came when Darren and Benji spoke of their bromance.
Darren revealed that the best thing to come out of the show was their friendship, while Benji said he would “would not want to be here with anyone else.”
That aside, Darren raised the most amount of money the series had ever seen for his charity Feel the Magic.
And in the finale, he put up an epic fight winning $172,617 — money which his charity got to keep.
What a wholesome show!
Congratulations to both Benji and Darren!
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 194 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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