The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Lee \"That's what I'm talking about\" McQueen was gobsmacked after beating 20,000 hopefuls to win the ultimate prize of being labelled this year's Apprentice winner.
Sir Alan hired him on the strength of his amazing dinosaur impression - no, sorry, on the strength of his performance delivery over the gruelling 12-week comp.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Lee-McQueen-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Lee McQueen The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Claire Young landed second place in the very tight final.
Sir Alan said her presentation skills were excellent and praised her resilience throughout the contest, but ultimately opted for Lee.<\/p>","url":"2008/6/12/Claire-Young-0408.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Claire Young"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Alex Wotherspoon came in joint third place.
He was left in floods of tears after Sir Alan fired him, believing his perfume design to be too expensive to produce.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Alex-Wotherspoon-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Alex Wotherspoon The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Helene Speight was fired in the same breath, after Sir Alan decided that her and Alex's fragrance, Dual, just wouldn't cut the business mustard.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Helene-Speight-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Helene Speight The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Lucinda Ledgerwood became the 12th candidate to be fired on The Apprentice.
\r\nShe failed to impress in the interview rounds and felt Sir Alan's wrath.
<\/p>
The 31-year-old risk manager was told by Sir Alan that she was too \"zany\" to work in his company.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/The-Apprentice-Lucinda-Ledgerwood-0408.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"The Apprentice Lucinda Ledgerwood 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Goodbye Michael Sophocles - we're not afraid to say we won't miss him.
\r\nYep, Michael's luck eventually ran out and he was fired in week 10.
<\/p>
The 25-year-old was kicked off the show after bringing in only about a fifth of the opposition's revenue in his position of team leader. Even after another dire performance Michael still had the cheek to say that he'd had \"glimmers of brilliance\".<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Michael-Sophocles-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Michael Sophocles The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
In week nine the boardroom fun and games were over for one Raef Bjayou.
A tissue task saw the teams battling it out but in the end it seems Raef may have needed one of the tissues to dry his eyes. After being booted he said: \"I learnt a lot about myself on The Apprentice, about how I can improve myself as a businessman.\"<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Raef-Bjayal-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Raef Bjayou"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Sara Dhada, a trained barrister, failed to put her skills to use and was fired by Sir Alan in week eight. She was hauled into the boardroom because of her poor sales technique in the latest task - selling wedding dresses.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Sara-Dhada-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Sara Dhada The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Every week one contestant feels the boardroom wrath of Sir Alan Sugar as they're told those dreaded two words: \"You're fired.\"
Only in week seven Sir Alan fired not one, but two people.
First up, here's Jenny Celerier. She was joined at the exit sign by...<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Jennifer-Celerier-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Jennifer Celerier The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Jennifer Maguire, who said: \"I want to work for myself and I have a passion for fashion.\"<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Jennifer-Maguire-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Jennifer Maguire The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Kevin Shaw was the \"tycoon of tomorrow\" to be on the bad end of Alan's firing finger in week six.
He was booted off the show after his team, for which he was project manager, lost a challenge to pitch new greeting cards.
\"I was the right one to go,\" the 24-year-old former bank manager said.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Kevin-Shaw-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Kevin Shaw The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Lindi Mngaza was given her marching orders in week five.
Sir Alan told her: \"Lindi, you were second in command for what I think was the most important thing in this task; identifying customers and selling the merchandise.
\r\n\"And it's sales that you lost this task on, and that brings me back to a conclusion that Lindi, you're fired.\"<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Lindi-Mngaza-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Lindi Mngaza The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
In week four Sir Alan sent Simon Smith packing, saying he felt the 36-year-old was out of his depth.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Simon-Smith-The-Apprentice-0408-1.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Simon Smith The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Come week three, Ian Stringer was given his marching orders from the show. In his exit interview he said he wanted Lee McQueen to win the show.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Ian-Stringer-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Ian Stringer The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Someone who must have been gutted to go home is Shazia Wahab, who ended up being week two's evictee.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Shazia-Wahab-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Shazia Wahab The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
The first person to leave the show was Nicholas de Lacy-Brown.
\r\nBut just because they're all going to have to leave at some stage, doesn't mean we can't take a look back at the motley crew.<\/p>","url":"2008/4/17/Nicholas-de-Lacey-Brown-The-Apprentice-0408.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Nicholas de Lacy-Brown The Apprentice 04.08"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Want to remind yourself who was in the running from the start?\r\nFirst up are the ladies, working their power pouts for all they're worth.
<\/p>
Top left is Shazia Wahab, a 35-year-old mosaic artist/company director from south London; standing next to her is 28-year-old Claire Young - a senior retail buyer, also from south London.
<\/p>
\r\nThe lady in fuschia is 31-year-old Lucinda Ledgerwood, a risk manager from Edinburgh.
<\/p>
Up front, we have Jennifer Maguire, 27 - a marketing consultant from Bristol, and Jenny Celerier - a 36-year-old sales manager from Leicester.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Shazia-Wahab-Claire-Young-Lucinda-Ledgerwood-Jennifer-Maguire-Jenny-Celerie-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Shazia Wahab Claire Young Lucinda Ledgerwood Jennifer Maguire Jenny Celerie"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Blimey, they're are a serious bunch. Still, in terms of Apprentice fireworks potential, what a great bunch.
\r\nHere international car trader Sara Dhada, 25, from Leicester, poses next to Lindi Mngaza, a 22-year-old business liaison manager from Birmingham.
\r\nIn the front and looking like she might cry at any minute is 32-year-old Helene Speight, a global pricing leader from Wakefield.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Sara-Dhada-Lindn-Mngaza-Helene-Speight-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Sara Dhada Lindn Mngaza Helene Speight"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Hello to the boys. Again revving up to the comp with their best \"we're kick-ass businessmen\" poses.
\r\nIn the red tie we have Raef Bjayou, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from north-west London, and in the blue shirt is Simon Smith, a 36-year-old senior satellite television engineer from Harlow.
\r\nThe blonde chapper in the front is 24-year-old bank manager Kevin Shaw from Woking and, next to him is Michael Sophocles, 24, a telesales executive from north London.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Raef-Bjayou-Simon-Smith-Kevin-Shaw-Michael-Sophocles-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Raef Bjayou Simon Smith Kevin Shaw Michael Sophocles"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
Forgive us for losing the business thread here, Alex Wotherspoon (top left) - a 24-year-old regional sales manager from Bolton is rather a hottie.
\r\nNext to him is Lee McQueen, a 30-year-old recruitment sales manager from Middlesex.
\r\nIn the front row, we have 26-year-old software sales manager Ian Stringer from Flitwick and Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, a 23-year-old barrister from Shoreham-By-Sea.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Alex-Wotherspoon-Lee-McQueen-Ian-Stringer-Nicholas-De-Lacy-Brown-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Alex Wotherspoon Lee McQueen Ian Stringer Nicholas De Lacy Brown"},{"caption":"
The Apprentice<\/b><\/p>
This mug hardly needs any introduction, but he is the man running the show and the person who holds the contestants' destiny in his hands. Yes, it's Sir Alan Sugar.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Sir-Alan-Sugar-0507.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Sir Alan Sugar"}];