Apprentice star 'on leave'

When he chose Michelle Dewberry as the winner of The Apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar admitted it had been a 'very tough' decision.

Three months later, it appears to be one he is living to regret.

The business tycoon is believed to be furious at stories about 26-year-old Miss Dewberry's private life, including claims she is pregnant by rival contestant Syed Ahmed.

She is said to have been put on gardening leave from her £100,000-a-year job while she waits for Sir Alan to return from holiday and decide her future.

A source close to her told The Sun: 'Sir Alan made it clear he's not happy. It wasn't working out even before she got pregnant.

'They agreed Michelle will take time off while they sort things out. Her future is in the balance.

'Sir Alan's on his yacht and they'll talk when he returns.'

The former check-out girl beat off competition from 15,000 rivals to make it on to the BBC2 show, where she battled it out against other hopefuls for a top job with Sir Alan.

Her ambition and determination to overcome her difficult upbringing on a Hull council estate impressed the tycoon.

More than six million viewers tuned in to watch the final in May in which the blonde beat 28-year-old Ruth Badger. At the time Sir Alan, 59, said: 'All she has done in her life is work hard and she has become a great achiever.

'I found her very focused, very determined, very organised. I think I've got the right girl.'

Miss Dewberry was given the task of heading his Xenon Green company, a business venture to environmentally dispose of unwanted computer equipment.

A month later, it was claimed she was pregnant by Mr Ahmed, 31, with whom she had an on-off relationship throughout the show. Miss Dewberry is believed to have been working from her home in South-West London for three weeks. Sir Alan is not due to return from holiday for another two.

Yesterday, neither she nor Mr Ahmed was available for comment.

A spokesman for Sir Alan said: 'Michelle Dewberry is an employee of Viglen which is part of Sir Alan Sugar's group of companies and as far as they are concerned nothing has changed in respect to her employment.'

Runner-up Miss Badger was reportedly offered a job by Sir Alan, but turned it down to set up her own business consultancy.