'The Apprentice': Simon Ambrose

We've enjoyed twelve weeks of rampaging egos, boardroom backstabbing and the occasional burst of business along the way, but Sir Alan has finally selected his apprentice. Disregarding hot favourite Kristina Grimes - perhaps he felt she was too orange to be taken seriously? - he chose to employ Simon Ambrose, the posh boy with an agile mind and a penchant for a backflip. Hurrah! We caught up with Simon to discuss his friendship with Tre, his thoughts on Brand Katie and how he's feeling about starting that £100,000 job.

How did you feel when Sir Alan said those infamous words to you?
"It felt great. It just felt wonderful to have some sort of closure, because it was just such a long, drawn out process. Towards the end it felt like it was dragging its heels - we were all at the ends of our tethers. I just wanted to win and get on with the job. When the press stuff dies down I want to perform for Sir Alan."

When will you be able to start your job as Sir Alan's apprentice?
"I'm pretty much ready to start now. If I wasn't here talking to you I'd be at work getting on with it. I'll definitely hit the ground running. I've got a lot of work to be doing - a lot to be getting on with."

Do you know what your job will entail yet?
"Yes, I'm going to be working in his property division: managing some of his buildings and sites and making sure their potential is maximised and that work's in progress. Lot of work to do!"

Do you think Sir Alan's created the role especially for you?
"Well, he's got a lot of different businesses, and he can place people wherever he likes. I could be in Brentwood or I could be in St James' with the posh boys, you know? I think the final - more so than ever before - had a really big bearing on what the winner was going to be doing. I'm going to be working in property, which the final task was based on, pitching to a lot of different professionals. I'd like to think that I demonstrated some of the skills that might be relevant in my final presentation."

Do you think the final task really swung it for you?
"I think you've got to take into account what I'd done over the twelve weeks - from week one to the final week where I picked Rory, I was always taking risks and trying to make a go of things. In the final task it worked well: our show was a real success; the architects loved our concept; they loved the dances and Rory was vindicated and my choice in him likewise."

Were you confident before you started the final task?
"Yes, I was confident. I can't lie - I was quietly confident. That said, I wasn't going to go around swinging my ego wide and low thinking I was going to walk it. I was confident in my abilities but I was reticent in that I know Sir Alan is influenced by public opinion. He's the ultimate in hands on. He reads the press and he reads everyone's comments and he takes them on board. He's gone for someone with a different dimension in comparison to all the other contestants. He knows I'm not going to think linear, because I think lateral, and that I might take risks. I think he likes that."

What do you think he likes so much about you?
"To be honest, I've got the same entrepreneurial flair as him. If you're going to pay someone £100,000, you're going to want someone that's more than a methodical doer, someone that's a bit more strategic. I feel I can offer that to him."

Throughout the course of the show, who did you regard as your biggest competitor?
"Kristina, definitely. Kristina's organised, able, ruthless down to a fault, and just generally very diligent. She's a great girl and she'll get a job wherever she wants one."

You and Tre were obviously quite friendly on the show. Were you competitive with him too?
"Yes, but I kind of understood Tre's way very early on. I sat him down in the second week and said: 'You've got to tone yourself down, because you won't get close to winning this if you don't. You can't just speak out of turn and criticise and swear all the time'. He said: 'I'm not interested in toning myself down, so f**k them, basically.' That's fine - that's just how he played it. He's been true to himself throughout, and you can't fault him for that. You can't criticise him for being someone that he's not, and I think that's why people like him. The same applies with people like Sir Alan. He doesn't mince his words and he doesn't fudge about the issue. He tackles things head on, and people respect that."

Having watched the show back now, what do you make of Katie?
"I think she's got a niche - a role that she's carved out for herself. She's become the Wicked Witch of the West! It's very sharp of her, and she seems to be doing very well out of it. Let's just see if she can make a career off the back of this."

Do you think she planned her witty put-downs before she said them?
"Not necessarily. She probably wasn't aware either. She uses her heart along with her head a lot of the time - she says things she feels, not to people's faces though, which is where she, Tre and Sir Alan differ to an extent. Tre is very happy to swear at people and Kristina is very happy to swear behind their backs, but what you want is someone who's a little bit more mediated than that. You want someone who thinks before he speaks, which is what Sir Alan does."

What are you most proud of from your time on The Apprentice?
"Well, I'd like to think I've shown that a nice guy from a nice background sometimes can win."

Finally, you seem to have attracted a lot of attention from the ladies on the Digital Spy forums. Are you available for dates?
"Really? Well okay, but it depends on what they look like. You know, I'm glad about that. Plus I can cook and clean, if it helps. Not at the same time though!"