Barrister kicked off The Apprentice

10:05pm Wednesday 26th March 2008

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A trainee barrister and artist has become the first contestant to be told "You're Fired" by business tycoon Sir Alan Sugar.

Tonight viewers of the hit BBC1 show The Apprentice saw Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, 24, who grew up in Worthing, get kicked off the show by Sir Alan.

Nicholas's fellow would-be tycoons blamed him for failing the first week's task of selling two van loads of fresh fish and Sir Alan agreed.

A philosophical Nicholas, who starts his barrister pupillage at a London chambers in October, told The Argus: "I'm obviously a little bit disappointed that I didn't get to experience it further and I'm even more disappointed for the people who supported me.

"It was a very traumatic experience with a lot of strife and a lot of arguments between contestants and with that being the case I was pleased to be out.

"I realised I wasn't going to be suitable for Sir Alan's company so why prolong the pain?

"It became clear to me and Sir Alan that we were chalk and cheese."

It was business from the off for the contestants as they prepared to settle into their luxurious pad, where they'll stay for the rest of the show.

Sir Alan though had other ideas and surprised them by ordering them to sell fish dressed in overalls and rubber boots.

Things didn't get off to a great start for the boys as the team struggled to agree on where to set up their market stall.

After much deliberation they chose Islington, only to find the girls had beaten them to it.

Friction was rife in the team with project leader Alex Wotherspoon and Nicholas not always seeing eye to eye.

Nicholas, who was educated at the Our Lady of Sion School, in Worthing, said: "I wouldn't say I caused friction. With Alex as project manager, he did."

Nicholas, who added his grandmother's name De Lacy to his own surname, added: "I rubbed Sir Alan up the wrong way.

"I was trying to explain what had happened and I said something like 'it was the educated versus the football fans' and as I said it I realised he was the wrong man to say it to. I was digging myself a grave."

Before he takes up his pupillage in October, Nicholas, whose father Alan owns a Worthing solicitors' firm, will be concentrating on his artwork, which he sells via his company De Lacy-Brown Enterprises.

He added: "I've got an exhibition in Mayfair between May 5 and 10 at the Arndean Gallery.

"I want to become a serious contender on the art scene now before concentrating on my law. Hopefully it should all work out nicely."

What did you make of Nicholas's effort on The Apprentice? Tell us below.