East Lancs Apprentice contestant slams Sir Alan

8:30pm Tuesday 24th March 2009

By Ben Briggs

A FORMER contestant on The Apprentice has warned this year’s hopefuls not to expect a life of glamour after the series.

Former car salesman Adam Hosker, 30, of Whalley, also said the show’s bad-tempered business guru Sir Alan Sugar had ‘betrayed his humble beginnings’.

The hit BBC show starts its fifth series tonight and a new group of 15 would-be entrepreneurs will fight it out to be become Sir Alan’s apprentice and claim a six-figure salary.

Adam, who worked as a salesman for Kitchen’s Renault in Burnley and Preston before going on the show in 2007, said he looked back on the experience with fondness.

He said: “I don’t regret going on at all. It wasn’t life-changing but was a good experience.

“A lot of contestants believe they are going to become TV presenters when the series is over but it’s not like that. It doesn’t get you anywhere.

“People think it’s a huge thing being on the show but really it’s more of a footnote on my CV now.

“I had been trying to get out of the motor trade and The Apprentice helped me do that because it got my name out there.”

After the show Adam worked for an IT company in Rawtenstall and now works for IT services firm TSG, Manchester.

Adam, who was brought up in Blackburn, said the show was in danger of focusing too much on celebrity, not business.

He claimed former Amstrad chief Sir Alan had forgotten his roots in the east end of London.

He added: “This series will be even more like Big Brother.

"Sir Alan is a very astute businessman who was firm but fair, but he needs to realise where he came from.

“As much as he has achieved financially he could do to be more humble some times.”

Meet this year's candidates

James McQuillan, aged 32, Senior commercial manager of Surrey
Kimberly Davis, aged 33, Marketing consultant, of London
Anita Shah, aged 35, Business strategist,of Birmingham
Debra Barr, aged 24, Senior sales consultant, of Surrey
Paula Jones, aged 29, Human resource consultant, of Walsall
Noorul Choudhury, aged 33, Science teacher, of Rochdale
Kate Walsh, aged 27, Licensing development manager, of Hampshire
Yasmina Siadatan, aged 27, Restaurateur, of London
Majid Nagra, aged 28, Business development manager, of Coventry
Ben Clarke, aged 22, Trainee stockbroker, of Belfast
Rocky Andrews, aged 21, A sandwich chain owner, of North Yorkshire
Philip Taylor, aged 29, Estate agent, of County Durham
Lorraine Tighe, aged 36, National accounts manager, of Kent
Howard Ebison, aged 24, Retail business manager, of Derby

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