Lord Sugar names new Apprentice

Ex-wrestler Ricky Martin has been named Lord Sugar's latest Apprentice after winning the BBC business contest.

Martin, 27, a recruitment manager from Portsmouth, won a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar, who will now become his partner in a new business venture.

Martin impressed Lord Sugar with his plan for a niche recruitment company specialising in the science industry.

He won despite being branded an "arrogant fool" by Lord Sugar's advisers in Sunday's final.

The four finalists were grilled by Lord Sugar's associates during interviews in the last episode.

Viglen chairman Claude Littner told Martin parts of his personal statement, in which he likened himself to the Norse God Thor, were "completely ludicrous".

It was "probably the most crass, obnoxious and infantile personal statement that I've had the, not really a pleasure, I've had the opportunity of reading", he added.

But Martin, who has an Honours degree in Biochemistry, persuaded Lord Sugar he had learnt a lot during the series and won him over with his business plan.

He beat fellow finalists Jade Nash, Nick Holzherr and Tom Gearing in the final, which ended the eighth series of the business reality show.

And Martin, who took part in amateur wrestling bouts in his spare time before entering the contest, said he would now swap the wrestling world for the boardroom.

"I've now retired from the wrestling ring," he said. "I'm hanging up my boots and my Lycra and that's it now for me."