Sugar: 'I respect Margaret's decision'

Sir Alan Sugar has paid tribute to his Apprentice sidekick Margaret Mountford following her decision to quit the show.

Mountford announced yesterday that she is stepping down from her advisory role on the BBC One reality series because she wants to concentrate on her PhD in papyrology.

Responding to the news, Sugar commented: "Margaret has been a highly regarded colleague and friend for over 25 years. Five years ago she agreed to put her studies on hold for the first series. None of us expected the show to be such a big hit, but now, five years later, she really wants to finish her Masters.

"We will miss her, but I respect her wishes and want to take this opportunity to thank her for the great contribution she has made to the series and of course wish her the best of luck with her studies."

Mountford and her colleague Nick Hewer have been regular fixtures on the programme since its launch in 2005, following contestants during tasks before reporting back to Sugar in the boardroom.

Announcing her plans yesterday, she explained: "I am working on a PhD in papyrology at University College London, studying documents found in Egypt and written in ancient Greek. I have not made nearly as much progress as I would like over the last few years - and I want to finish my degree before I need a Zimmer frame to get up on the platform to receive it."

The final episode of the show's current series airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight.