Apprentice contestant Christopher Farrell fired by Lord Sugar
Ex-Marine Christopher Farrell has had his chips after becoming the latest contestant to be dropped from TV's The Apprentice - following a bungled crisp sales task.
The 28-year-old mortgage broker - who is currently on police bail over fraud allegations - was told he lacked the spark of genius required by business guru Lord Sugar.
But Farrell, a former Royal Marines Commando, said afterwards he thought it was possible to do well in business and remain "nice".
Before dismissing him with his famous phrase "you're fired", Lord Sugar told him: "You do work hard, there's no question of that.
"My concern is that you perhaps don't have that spark of entrepreneurial genius that I'm looking for."
Farrell said in his own defence later: "Lord Sugar says you can't be nice in business; that's one thing I do disagree with him with. Nice people get far in life sometimes."
The former military man got the boot after his team Synergy, managed by investment banker Chris Bates, lost out to rivals Apollo in their task of selling British crisps in Germany.
Synergy lost a crucial sale when they chose to book an afternoon appointment with a major hotel chain, only for rivals Apollo to visit them first thing in the morning and corner the market.
Team-mate Jamie Lester ranted in the boardroom "I am no way going to be the fall-guy", but Farrell said he held no grudges.
He said: "Jamie's a nice guy and one thing I said to myself is I'll go on the show and I'm never going to be someone trying to dob other people in and get them in the shit, basically. That was just the way I wanted to be."
When the candidates were told they were going to Germany Farrell moaned on the show that he didn't like Germans.
In defence of his comment he said: "It's just the football, isn't it. I'm just honest."
Farrell will find out next month whether he is to be charged with fraud.
He is on bail pending a decision from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The contestant, from Plymouth, was arrested in August and it is understood the allegation relates to making a false representation via cheque or card.
