'Apprentice' winner parts company with Sugar

The Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry is to part company with Sir Alan Sugar.

Following a series of secret meetings, the former checkout girl will receive a "substantial pay-off" after agreeing to leave Sugar's Xenon Green computer disposal firm. She set up her own company, Michelle Dewberry Limited, thirteen days ago.

Six million viewers tuned into BBC Two in May this year to watch Sir Alan hire Michelle in favour of 28-year-old Ruth Badger. However things took a turn for the worse just weeks later when news of Michelle's pregnancy and relationship with show rival Syed Ahmed hit the tabloids.

A source told the Sunday Mirror: "It just wasn't working out. Sir Alan and Michelle had huge hopes for the partnership when she won the hit BBC2 series. They really felt it would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

"But it just hasn't worked out the way either side had hoped. It feels like the whole thing has been cursed. There's been one problem after another, and in the end both decided it was best to call it quits."