'Apprentice' winner dumped after cheating

Apprentice winner Simon Ambrose has been dumped by his Russian girlfriend Irina Nikolaeva.

The businessman, who was hired by Amstrad boss Sir Alan Sugar last month, left Irina devastated by cheating on her with 23-year-old model Melissa White.

"He told me three days ago how much he loves me. I talked to him and he said he will always love me," Irina told a friend. "Now it just seems to be an illusion. I can't go on like this."

"It's impossible to live like this," she continued. "But this whole thing is so difficult because I still love him very much. Him having a new girlfriend is very, very painful for me. But this is life, and I can't do anything. I still can't really take it in. We've been through so much together and had so many fantastic times. I really believed it would last for ever."

Ambrose has been spotted on three dates with Melissa in the past fortnight, while singer Irina was back home in Moscow, promoting her forthcoming debut album.

"Mel knew Simon before he went on The Apprentice," her best friend Zoe French told the News of the World. "They have met up since, and he was all over her. They are dating, but she didn't know he had a girlfriend. It was only later she found out, and was shocked. Simon is really mad about her and doesn't seem to notice anyone else."