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'Apprentice' victor unveils beauty gizmo

Leslie Katz Former Culture Editor
Leslie Katz led a team that explored the intersection of tech and culture, plus all manner of awe-inspiring science, from space to AI and archaeology. When she's not smithing words, she's probably playing online word games, tending to her garden or referring to herself in the third person.
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  • Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
Leslie Katz

Tim Campbell, winner of "The Apprentice" in the U.K., is getting into the beauty biz. On Tuesday, the reality TV star from across the pond unveiled the Integra Face Care System, a micro-current treatment unit that uses small pulses of electricity to isolate specific facial muscles. The resulting contractions purportedly promote better circulation and yield a more youthful appearance.

Integra
Credit: Integra

Infomercial fans probably know that such devices aren't new, but the Integra is getting special attention because of the man behind it. Campbell, a 26-year-old former transport manager with the London Underground, has been developing the product since he bested 13 other contestants on the BBC2 show to net a job with Sir Alan Sugar's firm, Amstrad. (The U.K.'s version of Donald Trump, reportedly one of the richest men in Britain, beat out Sir Richard Branson and Stelios Haji-Ioannou for the chance to bellow, "You're fired!" in a British accent.)

Since being crowned the Apprentice in May, Campbell, now director of Amstrad's new Integra health and beauty division, has drummed up anticipation for his upcoming top-secret product in the British press. The gadget had been described as an innovation in health and beauty, but until its Tuesday debut at a London spa, the details were kept under wraps.