A Bradford-born entrepreneur is fighting it out for a £250,000 prize on the latest series of television programme The Apprentice.

Ellie Reed, 33, founder and managing director of A&E Construction (Recruitment), based in Shipley, started her working life with a paper round.

She went on to start a new business during a recession and will now appear on BBC 1’s entertainment series as it returns for a seventh time next Tuesday. The new line-up of contenders will face Lord Sugar in the battle for boardroom supremacy.

Golf fan Ellie describes herself as “positive, fun and driven” – and once chased a burglar out of her house at 17. She said: “I don’t like lazy people – dole dossers that don’t want to work.

“I don’t like posh kids who have everything on a plate.”

The ultimate prize for the business wannabes is a role as Lord Sugar’s business partner.

And he has warned they cannot rely on his business acumen to succeed when he pumps £250,000 into their start-up venture.

“Don’t expect me to be doing all the work because I’m not looking for a ‘sleeping’ partner,” he said.

“I’m not St Alan, the patron saint of bloody losers – you can look at it as a bit of an uncivil partnership, so to speak.”

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