MUMBAI: The BBC has announced that its version of The Apprentice in the UK has a winner. After a gruelling and intense 12 week job interview process,the show's host Sir Alan Sugar has finally found his Apprentice.
Tim Campbell, a former transport manager for London Underground from East London has come out on top. In the final episode screened last night 5 May on BBC Two the two finalists were whittled down to just one winner.
He walked away with a ?100,000 year-long job contract with self-made tycoon Sir Alan Sugar.
An ecstatic Tim said, "I tried to do the best in every single task and I gave 100 per cent. My aim throughout the whole of this was to just get the job.
"I didn't want to be a TV star. I didn't want to be a Big brother-type contestant, I just wanted to better myself and do better for my family and make my mother proud and I think I've done that." Tim's personality, business acumen and determination have won him an army of fans throughout the 12 week run, including the notoriously hard-to–please Sir Alan.
Tim has overcome family poverty and discrimination, and in the face of intense competition won the coveted position of The Apprentice. Sir Alan said, "I had in front of me some of Britain's best prospects - but there were also some of Britain's best losers, too. It was a tough decision, but Tim is a great fella and I think I’ve chosen the best of the bunch. I've found my real apprentice, someone who can handle himself, handle other people, remain calm and someone who has a great learning ability. He's got it and that's what I need."
The runner up was Saira Khan who says, "I am really pleased for Tim. Throughout the course of the last few months I have worked with him quite closely and he's become a really good friend. I am sure it was a hard decision for Sir Alan but I think he's chosen the right person for the job that he's got in mind. The show has been a great experience for me and I have learnt a lot."
The BBC has also confirmed that The Apprentice has been recomissioned for a second series. The new series for next year, made for BBC TWO by Talkback, will see the winner land a top job with Sir Alan Sugar.
BBC Two controller Roly Keating says, "The Apprentice has been a huge hit. In a very short space of time it has become one of the most talked about shows on television and the feedback from the audience has been fantastic. The programme is a part of BBC Two's drive to find fresh approaches to business programming. It proves that audiences have a real hunger for programmes that reflect the cut and thrust of the business world in exciting new formats."
