The Apprentice: where are they now?
It has given us some memorable characters of varying aptitude. The phenomenal selling ability of series two's cult figure Ruth 'the Badger' Badger is the stuff of TV legend.
Do I even have to say what made Katie Hopkins so memorable a year later?
Let's not forget that she remains the only candidate to say 'no' to Lord Sugar.
If you're 'old skool' Apprentice, you'll recall the heated clashes between Paul Torrisi and Saira Khan way back in 2005.
And then there's Philip 'Pantsman' Taylor's David Brent moment in 2009. Not to mention Lee McQueen, winner in 2008 (despite being the author of a dodgy CV) and exponent of an eye-popping reverse pterodactyl impression.
So where are some of the past contestants and winners? What have they been up to since their days of being bossed around on TV by Lord Sugar?
All hail The Badger! A formidable contestant whose selling skills are second to none. Since her baffling loss to Michelle Dewberry in series two, Ruth has been busy with her own consultancy firm and academy. Her media career includes Badger or Bust and The Big Idea for Sky1 and numerous TV appearances with a business focus. A motivational speaker, she has been voted the best ever Apprentice contestant.
The Apprentice's youngest ever candidate (21 at the time he competed in 2010) easily stole the sixth series. "I'm Stuart Baggs 'The Brand' - I've got a certain type of charisma," he boasted. During his firing, Lord Sugar cut him down to size, but that hasn't stopped the media offers. Stuart Baggs stars in Celebrity Five Go To... on Channel 4 this month.
Apprentice runner-up in 2009, bubbly Kate hosts weekday show OKTV! for Channel 5. She previously worked on Live From Studio Five for the broadcaster. Kate - who is dating fellow Apprentice star Philip 'Pantsman' Taylor - replaced original OKTV! presenter Denise van Outen after the latter pulled out.
The winner in 2009, expectant mum Yasmina continues to work with Lord Sugar. She fell pregnant after a whirlwind romance with a colleague and is now on maternity leave.
Arguably the biggest star to emerge from the fourth series (the spoken word was his tool y'know), Raef's media career still appears to be on track. He has already appeared in Channel 4's 8 out Of 10 Cats (alongside Vic Reeves and David Walliams), Living's The Underdog Show and Channel 4's Celebrity Come Dine With Me. He was the face of in-house entertainment on British Airways, popped up in Celebrity Coach Trip and will be BBC Radio 5 Live's Apprentice 2011 contributor.
A third series contestant, Katie presented herself as a ruthless go-getter. Among her many memorable moments was labelling Kristina Grimes, that year's runner-up, as "too orange to be taken seriously". After the show, the papers were full of scurrilous details about her private life, but it kept her in the spotlight. Katie's profile was boosted further when she appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2007. There was a failed attempt to be elected as an MEP in 2009 and a controversial Question Time stint. Today, she divides her time between running her management consultancy and media appearances.
How on earth did she beat Ruth 'the Badger' Badger to the series two crown? It's a decision Lord Sugar appears to regret because as winner, she spent less than a year working for him. Complications in her personal life didn't help either. In 2009, Michelle founded Chiconomise.com (a site aimed at helping women look stylish for less). The author of Anything Is Possible, she's also at the helm of likebees.com (a site dedicated to families).
Runner-up in the fourth series, Claire had previously applied for Big Brother. After The Apprentice, she set up her own ventures and presented beauty features for GMTV's LK Today. A motivational speaker, Claire is at the helm of her own businesses, but she's still in demand across various forms of media (including TV and print).
The pin-up of the series in 2008, Alex made it all the way to the semi-finals. After the show, he modelled in various magazines and appeared in the BBC's popular game show Hole In The Wall. Alex married his long-term partner Hannah Robinson and has been involved in charity work and motivational speaking.
He was hired as The Apprentice in 2008, despite being caught fibbing on his CV. It wasn't an ideal start for Lee "that's what I'm talkin' about!" McQueen; he called in sick on his first day. Lee worked for Lord Sugar developing digital display advertising for two years. He left and founded the Raw Talent Academy, which aims to provide internal sales academies.
Runner-up in very first series back in 2005, Saira has grown from an irritating motormouth into a persuasive TV personality. She reports on a wide range of issues for numerous broadcasters and in addition to writing a self-help book, presented CBBC show Beat The Boss and also helms Trade Your Way To The USA. Saira heads her own baby skincare business.
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