Stamford contestant Marianne Rawlins 'fired' from BBC's The Apprentice

Marianne Rawlins, the Apprentice contestant from Stamford, has finally left the popular BBC 1 show.

The 36-year-old risk management consultant left the show after her fourth appearance in the board room with Lord Sugar.

This week’s show featured the contestants having to sign a music artist, remix a track and sell it for corporate clients and movies.

Despite selling more than her team mates, the US-born contestant was ‘fired’ by Lord Sugar, along with East End London lad Thomas Skinner, 28.

The shock double send-off was the first in this 15th series of the long-running show.

Marianne told the Mercury she was ‘doing okay’ but it was not a good Thanksgiving Day for her.

“Lord Sugar did not give me much of a reason. I think he couldn’t relate to me. He couldn’t understand why I was doing things. I felt he didn’t take a liking to me.”

By contrast, Thomas, who was 'fired' before Marianne, received “a lovely send off.”

Lord Sugar said if he was in a war and serving in the trenches, he would like Thomas at his side.

Marianne said: “It was like a love letter for him.”

Despite the upset, Marianne says she is really grateful for the amazing opportunities she enjoyed in the show.

The businesswoman hopes the exposure her appearance on The Apprentice will help her grow her business- Bradley Risk Management.

She said: “We are looking for investors. We offer insurance advisory services to large corporates that pay premiums in excess of £1-2 million a year. This business has been running successfully for four years. I have a team of three but I want to increase it to ten.”

Now, out of the show, Marianne says her appearances have made her a familiar face.

“People do recognise me now. It’s funny but everyone is so polite. People will think I haven’t noticed them noticing me.”

Marianne hasn’t ruled out appearing in other tv reality shows, but it might not be easy.

“I wouldn’t totally rule it out but I wouldn’t want to be separated from my clients. This does rule out ‘I’m a Celebrity.”

Being married to Royal Navy ‘Top Gun’ pilot Commander Simon Rawlins, who saw action in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban, also rules out Love Island.

Marianne then laughs: “Perhaps I could appear in ‘Real Housewives of Stamford'.”

The Apprentice returns to BBC1 next Wednesday.