Apprentice loser claims he was ‘too much of a nice guy’

Apprentice contestant Duane Bryan has said he was fired for being too “honourable”, allowing himself to be stabbed in the back by teammate Laura Hogg.

The 29-year-old entrepreneur was fired by Lord Sugar after his team’s new fitness regime, Beat Battle, failed to impress health club chains.

Led by amateur wrestler Ricky Martin, team Sterling devised a keep-fit class combining martial arts and street dance. Its flop with gym bosses was blamed on the promotional video, directed by Bryan and starring bridal shop owner and self-professed dancer Hogg.

Bryan said: “I realise now that being in the boardroom is not about being honourable and talking about what’s right. It’s about defending yourself and trying to survive another week.”

The director of his own drinks distribution company defended Hogg’s involvement in the task to Lord Sugar, insisting project manager Martin should be fired.

“Maybe I’m too much of a nice guy”, he said. “I shouldn’t have defended Laura, looking back.”