'Apprentice' star reveals cocaine shame

Eliminated Apprentice star Simon Smith was addicted to cocaine for five years after he left the Army.

Smith, who was fired by Sir Alan Sugar in Wednesday's episode of the BBC One reality show, admitted that his drug habit led to the breakdown of his marriage.

Simon joined the Army at the age of 17 and left nine years later. He then struggled to adjust back to civilian life and soon started using the class-A drug to ease his pain.

One of his lowest moments came when he put his addiction before his wife Debra when they visited Jamaica for their honeymoon in 2002.

"As soon as I got off the plane there were people offering me drugs. So I spent the whole holiday wasted," Simon told the Sunday Mirror. "I left my wife in the room and sneaked out at night - on my f***ing honeymoon! Disgusting.

"I blew over £20,000 on cocaine in five years. I was completely selfish. My whole life revolved around getting wrecked. The same competitive streak you saw in The Apprentice meant I felt I had to out-drink everyone, take more drugs than anyone else.

"I completely ripped my ex-wife's life apart. There is not a day goes by without me regretting how selfish I was. I broke her heart."

Simon has since faced his demons and is now clean. He has also found love again with a new girlfriend, who recently gave birth to their first child.

He added: "I see Debra in the shopping centre now and we talk cordially. I broke her heart. This is a goldplated public apology. There is not a day goes by when I don't think, 'What an absolute a***hole I've been'."