When Harry Mahmood joined The Apprentice he hoped he and Lord Sugar could become the "bad boys of the bath bomb world". But it all went wrong very early on when the West Midlands businessman was fired in the first week of the 2022 series of the show amid accusations he was "disruptive".
But a year down the line the 39-year-old is showing he can be successful without the business giant's cash after diverting his skills into space technology with a team that works closely with Jeff Bezos. And he says while Lord Sugar is a great mentor - people can get results without his £250,000 investment.
Harry has spoken to the Mirror to explain what it's like coming last in the competition. And he told of the behind-the-scenes action that viewers don't know watching.
Before appearing on the hit BBC show, Harry described himself as the "Asian version of Lord Sugar". He said he had hopes they could become the "bad boys of the bath bomb world".
But soon after leaving the show, he decided to change career paths and has not looked back. He said: " A good friend of mine asked me to join him starting up a space technology company and it's been great - it's growing massively.
"We've got a NASA former chief scientists on the team and a board of directors that work with Jeff Bezos. It's the crème de la crème of the space industry."
Harry says that he felt like he had a "point to prove" after Lord Sugar fired him so early in the series. He said: "I was gutted to leave so early. I wasn't given the opportunity to be project manager or sub team leader. It was nonsense that I was disruptive.
"It was unfair that Lord Sugar didn't give me a chance. It's mandatory that someone has to go first but it shouldn't have been me.
"I absolutely could have won Series 16, 100 percent I would have gone the whole way. No one got to know my personality or character, it's a shame.
"I think they fired me because they knew it would leave a shocking impact. It was a good plot twist to not fire the PM."
Sharing his advice for this year's contestants leaving early, Harry said: "Stand up for yourself and don't take things to heart." Harry explained that viewers won't know how long the interview and auditioning process is, and found his one-week stint incredibly short.
"Fans also don't realise how heavily edited the show is. It's funny how they edit you to follow a narrative and the audience play along," Harry said. "It wasn't what I expected. It's not a business show or real life, it's more like reality TV to influence and entertain people."
Over the last year, Harry has realised that he doesn't need Lord Sugar to become a business mogul and no longer seeks his validation. "I definitely wouldn't be Lord Sugar's business partner now if the opportunity came up. I think the only thing the show is good for is exposure," Harry said.
"He is a great no-nonsense mentor and tells you straight as it is, but you can raise £250,000 investment without him. I've got established awards, I've received honours from the Queen and I don't rely on other people's validation in life."
