MUMBAI: In the final episode of NBC's The Apprentice: Martha Stewart which aired on US broadcaster NBC a few nights ago, the show's host Martha Stewart selected candidate Dawna Stone as her apprentice.

The reality show contest named Dawna Stone to the new position of director of development of Body + Soul. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia acquired the healthy-living magazine last year.

MSLO adds that Stone will focus on new business development for the magazine, tasked with growing national advertising programmes and creating ancillary revenue streams, She is the founder and publisher of Her Sports, a magazine for women who are very active, sports-oriented, healthy and fit. Stone will work closely with Martha Stewart as well as with Body & Soul publisher Janesse Bruce and her Boston-based team.

Stewart says, "Dawna is creative and talented, and her entrepreneurial spirit and publishing experience make her a valuable addition to Body + Soul during its period of rapid growth."

Stone says, "I am thrilled to have been chosen by Martha Stewart as her apprentice and to work with the team at Body + Soul. This is a fantastic opportunity to have a significant impact on the continued success of this magazine".

In the past year, Body + Soul claims to have grown more than 30 per cent in circulation, making it one of the fastest growing magazines in the natural lifestyle category in the US. Now, more than ever, people are paying attention to what they eat, how they manage stress, how to stay fit, and how to bring balance to their lives. The magazine is on track to increase circulation again in March 2006 by more than 15 per cent, and an additional 14 per cent in July 2006, when circulation will reach 400,000.