A FITNESS entrepreneur from the North-East is out of the running to become Alan Sugar's Apprentice after being fired from the hit BBC show.

Katie Bulmer-Cooke, 28, fell victim to a double eviction by Lord Sugar last night, after project-managing the losing team in week ten of the high-pressure competition.

The businesswoman and mother-of-one was told that although she was “Miss Common Sense” and a “good organiser”, Lord Sugar could not see himself going into business with her.

Despite her disappointment, Katie, from Sunderland, said she was glad to have avoided next week’s gruelling interview process, being the only contestant on this year’s show not to have any interview experience.

“I’m not sure that sitting in front of Lord Sugar and his colleagues would be the best place to start,” she laughed.

But Katie said she saw her lack of formal business training as an advantage: “To me it didn’t really matter that I’d never studied it, because I have 12 years of experience. Despite not always knowing all the jargon, I do actually know how to do business.”

The award-winning fitness business consultant revealed that it was her hard-working parents who fuelled her ambition to succeed.

“I learnt my first business lessons aged four,” said Katie, who now has a four-year-old daughter of her own.

The entrepreneur described how she used to sit in a leotard and watch her mother run fitness classes, which she ran as a sideline to her day job.

“Whether she knew it or not, she was great at retention and she had her eyes firmly on the numbers,” explained Katie.

But daughter Heidi claims not to be bothered by her mother’s recent TV fame. “She says she’s not really interested,” said Katie. “But according to her teacher at school, it’s the talk of the class.”

The 28-year-old studied Sport and Exercise Studies at New College, Durham until 2008, and returns next week to give a talk on how to start a business.

Katie said she hopes she can inspire other young people to follow her footsteps: “I had a great time at New College and the staff were great. It’s going to be lovely to go back and see everyone”.

“The most important thing I learnt on The Apprentice is just to put yourself out there. Even if it’s scary, you’ve just got to throw yourself in there and do it.”

Post-eviction, Katie said she plans to continue her work in the fitness industry. “I’m doing a lot of work as a professional speaker, speaking to start-up businesses, other mums in business. I’m also working with two big national brands, and details of that will come out in January.”

As for The Apprentice, Katie said she would like to see fellow contestant and room-mate Roisin Hogan crowned winner: “We became really good friends through the process, and I think that she has all the attributes to be a great business partner.”