Fired Apprentice contestant Naomi Lay hopes her appearance on the show will help her launch a TV career.

The 26-year-old advertising sales manager, fired last night, said fame wasn’t her intention when she applied for The Apprentice, but after the show’s TV presenting task she was hooked.

"My old company has kept my job open for me and they have been really supportive.

"But the reason I applied for The Apprentice was to figure out what I'm good at and what I'm bad at, and to learn new things about myself.

"I really enjoyed the creative side of the tasks and I absolutely loved the TV presenting task, so I'd like to explore that. The presenting was brilliant and I'm very confident talking to people."

Lay was the eleventh to be fired from the BBC One show, but she said while she would have liked to win the show and work for Sir Alan Sugar, their personalities may have clashed

“Sir Alan and I are massive opposites - I'm quite a fluffy person and he's definitely not. I don't think I deserved to go based on my performance in this one task, but it's up to Sir Alan to choose who he wants as his apprentice."

Lay’s departure leaves five candidates battling to win the show and a £100,000-a-year job with Sir Alan.

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