After the job interview from hell with tycoon, Sir Alan Sugar, 27 year-old restaurateur, Yasmina Siadatan, has beaten 14 other candidates to land the coveted six-figure salary job, with the self-made millionaire, who has over 40 years of experience under his belt.

Yasmina follows in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Lee McQueen, and previous winners Simon Ambrose (2207), Michelle Dewberry (2006) and Tim Campbell (2005).

In last night’s final task, Yasmina battled it out with 27 year-old Licensing Development Manager, Kate Walsh, managing a team of this year’s fired candidates in the toughest task to date – designing an original box of chocolates, creating a brand and advertisement, and presenting them to a room full of industry experts.

Although Yasmina and her team – consisting of Howard, Lorraine, James and Philip got off to a shaky start, she quickly pulled herself and her team together and held a focus group, before deciding to target consumers searching for an “electrifying” chocolate experience. With a strong brand identity in place with “Cocoa Electric,” and a confident pitch Yasmina won over both the experts and Sir Alan, despite the actual chocolates being accused of lacking in quality.

Meanwhile, Kate’s team – consisting of Ben, Debra, Kimberly and Rocky, designed “Choc D’Amour”, a three-tier box of chocolates aimed at couples enjoying a romantic night in. But Kate’s high prices didn’t fit with her positioning in the mass consumer market as a credit-crunch alternative to a night out. However, Sir Alan did compliment her on the innovative idea and outstanding quality of the product.

In the nail-biting final boardroom scene, Sir Alan told the girls that choosing who to hire would be the hardest decision he had ever had to make over the past five series. He told them: “You are two very, very, very good finalists.”

When Sir Alan asked Yasmina what she’d learned over the last twelve weeks, she replied: “The highlights for me were doing things I’ve never done before, and finding that I’d done them well. Yesterday I pulled it off… that was such a massive personal achievement to know that I could do that, and can go and do it again…I know you don’t want to take a risk on me, but letting me slip through your hands would be a much bigger risk.”

Yasmina confidently answered Sir Alan’s tough questions on her already successful restaurant business, by telling him: “All it should say (owning my own business) is that I’m damn good at what I do and that I’ve got a creativity and a spark about me and I’m a risk taker. Right now I’m determined, I’m eager to learn….I’ve grown up as a natural businessperson… I look at everything from a business perspective and I think that’s the main difference between me and Kate.”

Sir Alan decided on his winner and said: “It’s a tough decision. You are the best that I’ve ever had in the final in this boardroom, that I promise you. My instincts are telling me… Yasmina… YOU’RE HIRED!”

After the final Yasmina said: “I really believed (that I was going to win), until I met Kate!… I’m absolutely up for it. I think Sir Alan knows my qualities, the best way to make use of me.”

Sir Alan said: “Yasmina seemed to have that real business instinct, not just in sales or anything like that, but (she’s) innovative and understands the plot of where we’re going… It’s gut instinct… I can’t explain it.”

He also commented on Kate, saying: “She’s got nothing to worry about. She’s a very bright young lady… Any time she wants to call me for any advice or anything like that, she’s welcome to.”

Yasmina will take up a role at Amscreen, Sir Alan’s digital signage company. She will be working in the firm’s healthcare division, where she will be responsible for building up a team of sales people. This division is tasked with supplying doctor’s surgeries and hospitals with free-of-charge digital signage units, upon which adverts and patient messages will be shown. It is expected that Yasmina will start her new job with Amscreen in the coming weeks.

Press Contact Taylor Herring PR 0208 206 5151

The Apprentice comes to a conclusion on Sunday 7th June at 9pm on BBC One. The finalists will battle it in the toughest task yet to win the coveted six figure salary with multi-millionaire, no-nonsense businessman, Sir Alan Sugar.

The fifth series of the job interview from hell has regularly pulled in the highest ratings yet, with the launch episode attracting over 8 million viewers. Sir Alan is aided once again by his advisers, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford, as he sorts the wheat from the chaff in a series of gruelling tasks and explosive boardroom scenes.

Viewers will be kept on the edge of their seats as they find out who will hear the sought after words: “You’re Hired!”.

For further information contact: Ashley.charles@taylorherring.com

It’s week six and the battle to become Sir Alan’s next Apprentice heats up as the remaining candidates reach the half way mark. Both teams hit the streets of London in a race against time to value and sell a load of old bric-a-brac.

Each team is given 10 identical items to sell in a day, including a medical skeleton, an old fashioned commode chair, an oriental rug, a box of books and a pair of vintage shoes. With a warning not to take anything at face value, the teams have until 6.00pm to sell everything for a profit. But first they must work out how much everything is worth. So, will it be a bargain hunt or sale of the century as the candidates attempt to identify the hidden gems and spot the red herrings?

As ever, Nick and Margaret are on hand to keep a watchful eye over proceedings. In the boardroom, Sir Alan will decide who’s proved priceless and who’s been worthless as one more person finds themselves in the firing line.

The Apprentice, tonight at 9pm on BBC One

After serving up lunches and canapés to hungry business professionals in last week’s task, the candidates face another thorough workout in their third task as Sir Alan sets them the challenge to create a new piece of portable gym equipment.

The candidates must come up with a completely original product that tones and flexes muscles and they must create a distinctive poster to promote their products unique properties. Finally they must demonstrate their pitching skills to three industry experts to maximise in the hope of securing orders. With just a couple of days to complete their task, who has the stamina to keep going and who will fall at the first hurdle?

As ever, Nick and Margaret are there to keep a watchful eye on proceedings and in the boardroom one more candidate finds themselves on the ropes as Sir Alan delivers the killer blow with the immortal words: ‘You’re Fired!’.

FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) announced today the award winning business entertainment series, The Apprentice, produced by talkbackTHAMES, will be available for download on iTunes in the UK for the first time from today.

Additionally, each episode of The Apprentice Series 5 will be available to own seven days after it airs on BBC One. A ‘series-pass’ option will also allow customers to purchase the entire series at a discounted price.

Rupert Brankin-Frisby, Commercial Director, talkbackTHAMES commented, “We are always looking at ways to extend the viewer’s enjoyment of The Apprentice . The public have a huge appetite for the show. Extending from the television series, to the website, iPlayer, the DVD and now on iTunes is natural progression for the brand.”

The launch is part of a wider deal between FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) and iTunes where FME will offer its award-winning programming on the iTunes Store in the UK ( www.itunes.co.uk ). Other titles soon to be released on iTunes include Baywatch , Homicide: Life on the Street and The Sweeney on Monday, 6th April.

The deal was brokered by Pete Kalhan, SVP Home Entertainment and Archive Sales, UK on behalf of FME.

Said Kalhan, “We already have shows on iTunes in the US, so this UK deal expands our current relationship, offering further content and access to some of the most renowned UK brands in the FME catalogue.”

After a punishing first task there’s no let up for the candidates as Sir Alan challenges them to set up a catering service for busy professionals in the city of London. In tough economic times the teams must agree a distinctive identity to stand out from the competition and win new customers.

They have to pitch for lunchtime business in top city firms and create apetising new menus for a prestigious canapé reception which must be executed to perfection. As well as sourcing the ingredients, the teams must make, deliver and serve all the food themselves. But with hungry mouths to feed and picky clients in tow it isn’t long before things go wrong in the kitchen and in the boardroom.

As ever, Nick and Margaret are there to keep a watchful eye on proceedings and in the boardroom one more candidate finds themselves on the ropes as Sir Alan delivers  the immortal words: ‘You’re Fired!’.

The Apprentice, 9pm, Wednesday on BBC One

The fifth series of BBC One show, The Apprentice got off to a flying start last night with a record launch audience of 8.1 million viewers (peaking at 8.3 Million) tuning in to see Business Strategist, Anita Shah, become the first person to be fired by Sir Alan Sugar.

The Apprentice drew in a huge 33.3% share of the audience, winning it’s 9pm slot.

The Apprentice: You’re Fired, which followed on BBC Two at 10pm had 3 million viewers, up from 2.7 million last year.

Business strategist Anita Shah has become the first Apprentice hopeful to be fired by Sir Alan Sugar on the BBC One show.

The BBC reports that the 35-year-old was brought into the boardroom after her team failed to make the most money in a challenge which saw them start up a cleaning company.

Sir Alan said he fired her because she “showed no initiative in spotting that you were going for a disaster”.

Shah said she was “gutted” to be the first candidate to be sacked.

“I’m gutted to be out of the show, of course I am. But life goes on,” she said.

In the first episode of the new series, the 15 candidates split into two teams – with the women calling themselves Ignite and the men choosing Empire.

As Ignite lost the challenge, project manager Mona Lewis chose to bring Shah and senior sales consultant Debra Barr back into the boardroom to face the firing line with Sir Alan.

After pleading their cases, Sir Alan said while Lewis had not shown him any business acumen, she had shown him “some spirit”. But his “gut instinct” was to fire Shah.

After being fired, Shah, who is a qualified lawyer said: “I’m bitterly disappointed but I accept that I wasn’t a stellar performer and without appearing to have a chip on my shoulder, I just think that Sir Alan doesn’t particularly like lawyers.

“Let’s see in 10 years if he doesn’t sit and think: maybe I made the wrong decision.”

The elusive 16th candidate who stepped down from his place on BBC One’s hit show, The Apprentice, has today been revealed as 30-year-old entrepreneur, Adam Freeman from Essex.

Adam started his first company at the age of 20 selling ringtones and made his first million by the time he was 25.

Adam says of his decision to leave: “I’m quite similar to Sir Alan at my stage in life at the moment. I have thrown away an opportunity of a lifetime, but the reality is, I just couldn’t do it and I feel like this is the right decision I’ve made.”

Executive Producer Michele Kurland said: “It’s an incredibly tough process and candidates need to be 100% sure that they are able to give up their time and commitments to take part. Adam had a last minute change of heart and felt that he couldn’t leave his family for a long period of time and we supported his decision.”

See Adam Freeman’s interview tonight on The Apprentice: You’re Fired, BBC Two at 10pm.

This is the stunning West London property that will become home to this year’s Apprentice hopefuls for the next 12 weeks.

With over 10,000 sq ft of luxury living space spread over three floors, the open plan penthouse includes: two brainstorming rooms, entertainment facilities, a telescope and a giant fish tank.

The property overlooks a canal with panoramic views across London.

The Apprentice, Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.

The New Series: 9pm, Wednesday 25th March on BBC ONE

In their first boardroom meeting, Sir Alan leaves the fresh faced candidates under no illusions about how tough the next twelve weeks will be.

“Pressure that’s what business is all about, pressure. Are you tough enough to put up with it?”, he warns them “It will be the hardest job interview you’ve ever had, but for one of you it might be the last one you ever need”

To win the ultimate prize and be crowned The Apprentice, the candidates will have to prove they’ve got what it takes to stand out in a series of gruelling business tasks.

The hard work starts immediately as the immaculately dressed candidates are given a bucket and sponge and told to make as much money as possible by cleaning. With just eight hours to turn a profit, both teams have to roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty.

Under the watchful eyes of Sir Alan’s aides, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford the teams must decide where to go, what to clean and how much to charge.  With highly competitive candidates all desperate to prove their worth, it’s not long before tensions rise and tempers flare. Chaos ensues as the boys and girls compete against the clock to avoid a showdown with the boss, Sir Alan Sugar.

At the end of their first day, one team will win and the other will end up in the Losers Cafe. The winning team get to check out their new home – a luxury penthouse suite with over 10,000 square feet of modern living space, while the losers are left to battle it out in the boardroom. In the end, someone will be in the firing line and be the first to hear the infamous words “you’re fired”? Tune in to find out.