Apprentice Winner Stella English was 'Lackey' at Lord Sugar's Viglen

A former winner of hit TV show The Apprentice claimed the show totally failed to enhance her career.

Stella English, who won the BBC show in 2010, told an employment tribunal that being picked by tycoon Sir Alan Sugar was not it all that it seemed.

Her disappointment led English to resign from her £100,000 role at Sugar's computer firm Viglen, 13 months after triumphing in the primetime talent show.

After being told "You're hired" by Sugar, English saw him a total of five times during her spell at Viglen, she told the East London Employment Tribunal.

Often there was simply nothing for her to do at work, said English, who labelled her employment there "a sham".

"I was provided with a desk and a phone but that was pretty much it," she said.

"No specific duties were allocated to me. I have tried so hard for so long and it's not working. I'm an overpaid lackey at Viglen."

English took out a claim of constructive dismissal against Viglen on the grounds she had to resign because her role was not being renewed.

"The career-enhancing opportunities that The Apprentice position had been sold as simply failed to materialise," she said. She had walked away from a management position at a Japanese bank for the chance to learn from Sugar.

One of the rare times when English did meet him was at a meeting to discuss her concerns about where her career was headed at Viglen.

Her line manager was also invited. He described English to his boss as a "nice girl [who] didn't do a lot," reported the BBC.

English told the three members of the tribunal bench she had to quit. "My pride would not allow me to continue doing it," she said.

The tribunal continues.