Sweet success for Lee in TV surprise

LEE MCQUEEN revealed his first purchase would be a “new pair of shoes for the missus” after he was declared the surprise winner of The Apprentice.

The son of a milkman said he had to take “a deep breath” when Alan Sugar told him “you’re hired”. McQueen, 30, was the only candidate not to have been hauled into the boardroom.

But formidable opponent and finalist Claire Young, a senior retail worker nicknamed “the rottweiler”, had been the outright favourite to land the £100,000 (€126,237) job.

McQueen, a recruitment sales manager, was picked for the plum job despite being caught out in the early stages of the show for lying on his curriculum vitae.

He said yesterday: “I’m a winner. I think I won because I delivered consistently. I’m a football fan and if you compare it to a Premier League table I’d be at the top.”

Asked what he would do with his first month’s pay, he said: “I’ll probably buy a new pair of shoes for the missus. I’m also trying to negotiate with Sir Alan to see if I can have a holiday in South Africa.”

McQueen, who has been with his girlfriend Nicola for nine years, said: “I always said if I won I’d buy myself a Porsche 911. They cost around £65,000 (€82,060), so I won’t be able to get one with my first pay cheque but maybe I should get in contact with a leasing company.”

McQueen added: “My mum’s got no central heating in her flat. I bought it and it’s mortgaged. So I think it’s only right to help her with that side of things.”

Alan Sugar has asked McQueen to launch a digital advertising product which will come under one of the tycoon’s “portfolio of companies”.

A final task saw the remaining candidates, Helene Speight, Alex Wotherspoon, Young and McQueen, being given a week to create a male fragrance.

Global pricing leader Speight and regional sales manager Wotherspoon were the first to go in the final showdown, leaving Mr Sugar to choose between McQueen and Young.

He told the pair: “Claire you have some great attributes and Lee you’re very convincing. You are very, very, very convincing. I’ve concluded... Lee you’re hired.”

McQueen said: “When I was told I’d won I took a deep breath. I was relieved, overjoyed. My heart missed a beat. I was thinking ‘really?’.”

He said: “I think what swung it for me was when I rolled off my record to Sir Alan. I’ve been a project manager three times, won three times and never been in the boardroom.

“Claire doesn’t need anyone to feel sorry for her but I am gutted for her. I believed at some point that Sir Alan would choose her... She probably went through the biggest journey.

“I’m a big softie and when we learnt we were the final two it was very emotional.”

McQueen, who earned £78,000 (€98,471) last year, said: “My girlfriend and mum were brilliant. They were very, very proud of me.

“It’s been graft and determination but I was also raised brilliantly. At the end of the day I made my own luck.”

The fact that he was not educated to the degree of some of the other candidates “shows you can get through life and change your situation by hard work and determination”, he said.

McQueen said of lying on his CV: “I’m very ashamed about that. It lost me some of my integrity. I got a good grilling and I deserved it, and I learnt from my mistake. It won’t happen again.”