Sir Alan's apprentice... is hired

Sir Alan Sugar and new apprentice Michelle Dewberry

It's been a nerve wracking time for both contestants and fans of BBC Two's The Apprentice.

But Sir Alan Sugar has delivered his verdict and hired his apprentice.

Ruth Badger and Michelle Dewberry went head to head after beating 12 other hopefuls.

That meant that Sir Alan would be hiring a woman, and in the final twist to the series, only filmed a couple of days ago he chose Michelle Dewberry.

Breakfast talked exclusively to Sir Alan's new apprentice Michelle Dewberry, watch again from the link to the right

Michelle will be following in the footsteps of last year's Apprentice transport worker Tim Campbell.

She's guaranteed a six figure salary, and kudos of training in one of Sir Alan's companies.

Michelle (l) and Ruth (far r) in an early apprentice task

The 26 year-old from Hull had grafted her way up from checkout girl in a supermarket.

Sir Alan told her: "All you have ever done in your life is work hard and you have become a great achiever."

Michelle left school with only two GCSEs and a year later her older sister Fiona, 19, fell to her death from an eighth-floor window.

The tragedy spurred Michelle on to success and by 24 she was running her own telecoms business.

She was stunned to learn Sir Alan had chosen her to be his apprentice. "For someone like Sir Alan to recognise my ability is unbelievable."