'Apprentice' chiefs deny Sugar seat claims

Apprentice producers have denied claims that Sir Alan Sugar needs a platform to boost his height in the boardroom.

After being fired by the Amstrad tycoon two weeks ago, Jenny Celerier told the press that Sugar was hiding the secret from viewers, explaining: "I did notice when he got on his chair he did do a sort of little jump to get on it."

Though a picture printed in the Daily Mail shows that there is a wooden platform beneath Sugar's chair in the boardroom, show chiefs have insisted that it is only present to hold the seat in place.

A spokesman for the show told the newspaper: "Being a swivel chair, there is a wooden frame, bolted to the floor into which the five wheels are sunk - to anchor it for camera positions."

Celerier blasted Sugar after leaving the show, claiming that the businessman fired her for personal reasons rather than focusing on her performance.