Apprentice winner Sir Alan Sugar

Tuesday, 2 June 2009

Sir Alan Sugar thinks he would easily win 'The Apprentice'.

The 61-year-old tycoon - who dropped out of school when he was 16 - is certain he would have "breezed through" the BBC show had he appeared on it when he was younger.

He said: "My answer is always the same - I would have walked it."

Remaining contestants Yasmina Siadatan, James McQuillan, Debra Barr, Lorraine Tighe and Kate Walsh will face tough one-on-one interviews in the semi-finals of the programme tomorrow night (03.06.09).

Only two will go on to the final on Sunday (08.06.09), where one person will win a job as Sugar's apprentice with a £100,000 salary.

Sugar is "pleased" with the remaining candidates, even though he admits to firing some contestants "with regret".

He explained to Britain's Radio Times magazine: "People think 'with regret' means I'm reluctant in my decision, or that the candidate warranted a place in my organisation. It simply means they're a nice person and the term is there to soften the blow."

He also confessed to allowing more arguing in the boardroom this year to help assess each contestant's "nature".

He said: "Some, if given enough rope, will simply end up hanging themselves while others articulate themselves well during a boardroom battle."

Bookmakers tip Kate to win, but Adrian Chiles, host of spin-off show 'The Apprentice: You're Fired!' thinks Yasmina will triumph.