And then there were four.

In fact, Wednesday night's finale of The Apprentice will be the first time four contestants have made it to the series' season denouement. Lee McQueen, Helene Speight, Alex Wotherspoon and Claire Young find themselves inches away from the £100,000 yearly salary and job offer from tycoon Sir Alan Sugar.

A number of questions may still be lingering about what tomorrow's episode has in store, but it has been revealed that the four contestants will work together in pairs. One coupling will be eliminated by the episode's end, leaving Sir Alan to decide between the remaining two contestants.

Former contestants will also resurface to assist the remaining contenders in their final task: creating and launching a new aftershave to industry representatives.

Whoever comes in second place need not worry about securing employment, however. Essex County Council has announced that the runner-up will be given a job offer - one tailored to his or her strengths, of course.

Last season's finale saw 27-year-old Simon Ambrose claim victory and was watched by 6.8 million people, besting reality rival Big Brother. Ambrose took a position in Sir Alan's property division.

Michelle Dewberry, season two's victor, was initially placed in Sir Alan's Essex electronics firm Amstrad before suffering a widely publicized miscarriage and starting her own company.

Tim Campbell, the UK's original Apprentice, stayed on with Amstrad's Health & Beauty Division for two years before leaving in March of 2007 to pursue other ventures.

US billionaire Donald Trump, the original face of the series in America, arrived in the UK on Monday to visit his mother's Scottish homestead and prepare for an inquiry today regarding his plans to build a £1bn golf course near Aberdeenshire.

The season four finale of The Apprentice will air Wednesday night at 9pm on BBC One.

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