[Benjamin]

A former contestant on hit BBC show The Apprentice says the series is now “well past its sell-by date” as it prepares to return to our screens for a ninth series.

Maria O’Connor lasted until just the second week of last year’s show before she was told by Lord Sugar that she was ‘fired’.

But it hasn’t derailed the businesswoman’s ambition - she continues to manage her Elizavet Greek restaurant in Sandwich and says business has boomed since she appeared on the show.

She is not as complimentary, however, to the show which gave her 15 minutes of fame.

She told us: “It is well past its sell-by date now. If I had the show, I would revamp it completely.

“One thing I would like to do is have fewer contestants, and let them all be project manager before anyone is fired. And the firing should be done by more than one person.

“When I was on the programme, the first girl who was fired was brilliant at business and really had it going on. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Ms O’Connor was second to go after her team failed to win enough orders for a bizarre bath protector.

She said: “I reckon this year’s series will be just like all the others, unless they have done something different, which I doubt.

“As for me, nothing much has happened. Business at the restaurant went up because more people knew me, so that is nice.

“I have done what I have always done – work hard and keep the business going. The programme was good advertising for me.

“I speak with a couple of the contestants from time to time, but am not close to any of them.”

As for her advice to this year’s contestants?

The outspoken 21-year-old said: “Just be who you are. Don’t become what they want you to become. That is the best way. Don’t change for anyone. Don’t compromise yourself for anything. There is no point being someone you are not.”

The self-confessed man eater had promised to get Lord Sugar to fall in love with her.

It didn’t work out, and before she was sacked, advisor Nick Hewer said: “She is a very noisy young woman.”

And Lord Sugar said: “It looks like she just wants to row. She looks a fiery person.”

Our Kent contestant also laid in to former winner Stella English for taking Lord Sugar to an industrial tribunal and losing after her work position became difficult.

She added: “She has completely killed her career. Who is going to employ her now?”

The new series is scheduled to start within the next two weeks.

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/the_a...rmat_1_2022499