Tom Allen has said contestants on The Apprentice are “devastated” after fellow competitor Shama Amin had to quit the show for health reasons.
The comedian, who hosts the spinoff show The Apprentice: You’re Fired, said she was a “clever” and “lovely” person who he thought would have gone a long way in the competition.
Amin, a 41-year-old children’s day nursery owner, has left the BBC One series as she has rheumatoid arthritis and the show became too “physically demanding” for her.
Speaking on BBC One’s The One Show, Allen said: “It’s so sad because she’s absolutely brilliant and such a clever person and such a lovely person.
“And I know all the candidates were really devastated that she had to leave the process early.”
He added: “She would have gone a long way in the competition actually. I’m sure she’ll go on to great things.”
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and usually affects the hands, feet and wrists.
Amin’s departure leaves 13 entrepreneurs in the running to win £250,000 worth of investment in their business and become Lord Sugar’s next business partner.
The girls’ team has won the past two weeks of challenges, which saw contestants tasked with designing an advertising campaign for a cruise and then creating a children’s toothbrush.
Speaking about the performance of the boys’ team, Allen said: “I think the boys are just a bit… they’re either too quiet or they’re too loud.
“Either way they don’t listen to each other very much. I think it’s always about communication with the boys’ team.
“It’s often the boys’ teams early on that let themselves down. Silly boys in their lovely suits but they talk too much and they don’t listen to each other and they come up with some truly dreadful products.”