AFTER being the first contestant to hear the words "You're Fired", trainee barrister Nicholas De Lacy Brown who grew up in Worthing, told the Herald about his experience on BBC television programme The Apprentice.
Nicholas, 24, who is also an artist and property developer, said: "I wasn't fired on the basis of the task, I was fired purely because of who I am.
"Sir Alan couldn't see me in his business, whether that's because I am posher than him I don't know.
"I don't blame him but I think it was unjust."
Nicholas, who is related to Alan Brown, founder of Worthing-based A. R. Brown & Co Solicitors, was selected from more than 20,000 other aspiring business tycoons to take part in the BBC show competing for a job in Sir Alan Sugar's empire.
But he was on the losing men's team in the first episode of the series after they and the women's team were set a challenge of each selling £600 worth of fresh fish from a market stall.
The men made just £32 profit. Nicholas was blamed for wrongly pricing the fish and was fired by Sir Alan.
After the show he said "the case against him should have been thrown out of court and he had been set up to be fired".
Nicholas told the Herald: "The show was very traumatic, it all started so quickly.
"We had not even met Sir Alan before we first went into the board room.
"After the task, the final boardroom showdown lasted for a long time and yet only two minutes of it was shown, I argued my heart out but it was edited to make me look like a flump.
"I don't feel I let myself down, I'm not pleased about it but I feel I did good job."
Nicholas went to Our Lady of Sion School and worked at the Worthing branch of Sussex Stationers for a year as well as at his father's Worthing solicitors firm in Chapel Road.
He said: "They want people to fit into specific character slots, and they made me the posh toff. Worthing isn't exactly Chelsea, my family home in Goring is really quite normal.
"They looked at my name and my profession and made me into a toff, which I don't mind because it's the way I've styled myself.
"To succeed in the art world and as a barrister you have to change yourself to be something noticeable".
To read more of the interview with Nicholas see next week's Herald on Thursday, April 3.-------------------------------------
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