Apprentice loses dismissal case

Former Apprentice winner Stella English has lost her claim of constructive dismissal against Alan Sugar.

The 34-year-old, who was on a £100,000 a year salary at Lord Sugar’s IT firm Viglen, claimed she was given no specific role during her four-month probationary period, and her boss Bordan Tkachuk looked at her with “contempt” on her first day and said: “There is no job.”

The 2010 TV show winner, from Whitstable, also told the tribunal she carried out only basic administrative tasks but did not say anything to Lord Sugar because she “did not want to be a troublemaker”.

After resigning from Viglen in May 2011, she said she felt pressured into taking up a new position at Lord Sugar’s internet set-top box company YouView, but the Labour peer said he was trying to help her out by offering her a new position because she had complained of being “desperate for money”.

The businessman said Ms English was trying to damage his reputation and he had no case to answer, and the East London Tribunal Service ruled unanimously in his favour. Lord Sugar gave his reaction on Twitter, saying:

“The Tribunal case brought by Stella English against me and my company has been dismissed. A victory for the law against the claim culture.”

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