‘My dad phoned me – then I collapsed on the street’, says The Apprentice’s Tre Lowe as he opens up on heartbreaking loss
THE Apprentice’s Tre Lowe has opened up about the devastating loss of his brother – and how it inspired him to go on the show.
Tre, 49, is now one of the last few remaining candidates left on the BBC One series and has been dubbed “most credible” by Lord Sugar himself.
Baroness Karren Brady hailed the “impressive” businessman after his team made an incredible £38.7million in sales for a Formula-E task.
But, the entrepreneur has been on a rocky journey in the last couple of years to reach where he is now.
On February 2, 2020, Tre’s world was shattered when his older brother Ashley Akabah passed away in his Notting Hill London flat.
The wellness coach told The Mirror: “Ashley is one of my biggest reasons for living right now.
“A lot of who I am I owe to him. His death was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to deal with in my life.”
Ashley and Tre produced music together in their duo Architechs, rubbing shoulders with huge A-listers from Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and All Saints.
Dad was crying and my dad never cries. I just remember collapsing in a lump on the street. I couldn’t speak
They shot to fame in the naughties after remixing classic hits The Boy is Mine and Body Groove.
Tre was informed of his brother’s tragic death over the phone by his dad and is still haunted by the “vivid” conversation.
“Dad was crying and my dad never cries. I just remember collapsing in a lump on the street. I couldn’t speak,” recalled Tre.
He recounted the chaotic scene as he arrived at Ashely’s flat and was told by police not to go in.
It is believed the musician died of Covid complications after a post-mortem revealed his lungs were filled with fluid and he had contracted blood sepsis.
Tre also described a two week period prior to the horror during which his brother was struggling to breathe.
The musician has since been encouraged to inspire other men to ask for medical help when they need it.
He has also channelled his grief into creating Wellness shots for men to boost their health.
The businessman said he still feels his brother’s energy wherever he goes – including when he’s stood in front of Lord Sugar on The Apprentice.
Tre joked that he thought Ashely would be ribbing him for going on the show.
But, his death is the reason The Apprentice star pursued his goals – as he since lives by the motto ‘live your life now because tomorrow is not guaranteed’.
“That was one of the reasons that, when the opportunity to do The Apprentice came, it felt like the right thing,” he said.
Who is Tre Lowe?
Tre has a number of A-list celebrities as friends, including Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson, Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu and model Emily Ratajkowksi.
He has also shared pictures of himself with TV presenter Jonathan Ross and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon.
The entrepreneur has also previously met Lord Sugar, being pictured with him and music mogul Simon Cowell at a party in 2014.
Tre continued with Architects after Ashley’s death, and even appeared performing their hit song on The Big Breakfast in 2022.
His website describes him as: “an award-winning Producer-Songwriter, Mentor & Entrepreneur.”
He owns the record label MBL Entertainment, and also runs the coaching and consultancy company, Alpha Clique.
Tre has since stepped back from performing to start a wellness business.