You're hired: Clapham entrepreneur wins Apprentice title

9:59pm Wednesday 13th June 2007

By Helen Husbands

Clapham internet entrepreneur Simon Ambrose has won the final of BBC One show The Apprentice.

The 27-year-old beat 36-year-old single mum Kristina Grimes for the coveted six figure salary job with Sir Alan Sugar.

The pair made it to the last stage of the show after 31-year-old single mum of two Katie Hopkins controversially stepped out of the race.

In the final episode, Sir Alan asked the finalists to tackle their biggest project yet - to design a new riverside building in central London.

Having bought a £120million riverside building, the businessman said he had plans to flatten it in the future and asked the finalists to come up with conceptual ideas for a new building.

They had four days to work on the project - which had to make money - before presenting plans to 100 hard-nosed property experts.

They were helped by eight contestants from the series who fell by the wayside earlier in the competition.

Simon's building, The Wave, was described by Sir Alan as a building people would either "love or hate".

In the boardroom after the task Sir Alan said Simon was not a natural leader, but he surprised him by coming up with innovative ideas and well thought out presentations.

Sir Alan said: "It is a tough decision. There's only one job. I have got someone who's very experienced and I have got someone who is enthusiastic, a great talker and willing to learn."

He said to Simon: "There's something inside me, some devil inside me that says I wouldn't like to let you go" before telling him he was hired.

Simon, who was desperate to work for the Amstrad founder who he described as his childhood hero, was selected from more than 10,000 hopefuls who applied to join the third series of the show.

The Cambridge graduate, who speaks six languages, was laid off from his last job as an investment banker and has tried his hand at a number of internet business ideas.

The Apprentice started its 12-week run on BBC One at the end of March and contenders included a quantum physicist, a car salesman, an ex-army officer, three high-flying single mothers, a global brand consultant, a former air traffic controller and a financial adviser.

Weekly challenges included selling British farm produce at a French farmers' market, creating a new brand of trainers and selling art photography at a trendy gallery.