Fired Apprentice candidate Sophie Wilding believes some of her co-stars are on the show for ‘fame’

Fired Apprentice candidate Sophie Wilding believes some of her former co-stars are on the show for ‘fame’ – after becoming the seventh casualty of the boardroom.

The boutique cocktail bar owner, 32, from Cheltenham insists she went on the BBC One series to go into business with Lord Sugar instead of for the exposure and possibility of further TV opportunities.

Sophie, who was fired by Lord Sugar after failing to impress as project manager, told MailOnline she has put ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ into her business, while some individuals on the show ‘aren’t in it for the correct reasons.’

Sophie said: ‘I was reserved I thought about everything that I spoke about before I opened my mouth.

‘I wanted to be perceived as professional. I’ve had a career for 11 years in medical sales prior to opening Imperial Haus so I was very conscious of that.

‘I didn’t go on the show for fame I wanted the investment. I have invested hundreds of thousands into my business, and I have put blood, sweat, and tears into it. I wanted to go on the show for the investment and to be mentored by Lord Sugar, to expand quickly and learn.

‘I have done everything myself so far and I wanted to continue to learn so for me I feel I went in with 100 per cent the best kind of vision but if everyone was like me that it might not be an entertainment show, so you really need a mix of individuals.

‘I wanted the investment’: The cocktail bar owner insists she went on the BBC One series to go into business with Lord Sugar instead of for the exposure and possibility of further TV work

‘Maybe those individuals aren’t in it for the correct reasons, they’re in it for fame but that’s why you get fun, and you get laughs and it is an entertainment show.’

This week, the candidates were tasked with designing, branding, and pitching their own electric driverless vehicle, and Sophie put herself forward as project manager.

She ended up in the boardroom alongside Akshay Thakrar, 28, and Nick Showering, 31, who was saved by the skin of his teeth, while Sophie was sent packing.

Lord Sugar concluded ‘the failure of this task is crystal clear, it was a bad idea and badly executed’, saying that Sophie had produced a ‘useless product’ that was hard to sell, which in his eyes was ‘unforgivable.’

You’re fired: The entrepreneur ended up in the boardroom alongside Akshay Thakrar and Nick Showering (pictured), who was saved by the skin of his teeth, while Sophie was sent packing

Sophie said: ‘I knew from the offset it was either going to be amazing or a flop. I thought I could take this task and be really innovative. I designed Imperial Haus, my cocktail bar, from scratch.

‘All the ideas I’ve had in my head and imagination I’ve been able to make a reality so I thought I could have done that with the pod but in reality your hands are tied to a certain extent so you can’t be as creative as I have been in the past.’

Sophie managed to survive the process, which sees entrepreneurs compete for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment while living together in a mansion situated on London’s Billionaires’ Row, relatively unscathed, which she says is a credit to her personality. 

In the zone: This week, the candidates were tasked with designing, branding, and pitching their own electric driverless vehicle, and Sophie put herself forward as project manager

‘Unforgivable’: Sophie’s team were mocked for their idea Star Pod, which failed to impress investors, and Lord Sugar, who said it was a ‘bad idea and badly executed’

Sophie added: ‘I was always myself and I was true to myself. I’m not the type of person to have negativity or be two faced.

‘One of my life mottos is that I would never say something behind someone’s back that I wouldn’t say to their face so for me I didn’t experience anything like that, and I wouldn’t put myself in that situation because it isn’t me.

‘I wasn’t there for drama. I don’t like drama in my life; I’m too busy with everything else to cause conflict and negativity. I went into this process for the correct reasons.’       

• The Apprentice continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One, followed by You’re Fired on BBC Two. Watch live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer