Fired Apprentice Maria O'Connor says getting arrested was scarier than being axed by Sugar
The pretty brunette restaurateur was fired by Lord Sugar last night after falling asleep on a task.
But just over two years ago, she found herself in a police cell after cops arrested her with her suspected drug dealer boyfriend and her home was raided.
The police soon realised Maria was not a suspect and she was released without charge.
But she vowed then to never let a boyfriend get her in trouble again — and to make something of her life.
Maria, who runs Greek restaurant Elizavet in Sandwich, Kent, said: "He dragged me down. Getting arrested was quite scary.
"The minute I found out he was a drug dealer I dumped him.
"I'm not that sort of girl. I've worked hard since I was 15. In my teens, my mates were getting drunk but I was working hard. As soon as I realised what was going on, I didn't want to know him."
Last night's show saw the boys and girls go head-to-head in a task where they had to design and sell a kitchen or bathroom project.
Asleep on the job ... Gabrielle, Jane and a dozing Maria
But while they were choosing between the options, Maria dozed off in the car — on camera.
Defiant Maria insists that project manager Jane McEvoy was to blame because she woke her up at 4am in the morning by "drying her hair".
Maria said: "Jane should have gone because she chose the wrong product. She's a bitch."
She added: "I only fell asleep because she was banging about at 4am doing her hair and I didn't go to bed until midnight."
Lord Sugar fired Maria, telling her: "I'm not clear what you did in this task, Maria — you're fired." Despite the no-nonsense sacking, Maria is still a huge fan of the Amstrad tycoon.
She said: "The best thing was getting to meet Alan Sugar.
"Look, he can be an ar*ehole or a lovely bloke, it's up to him — at the end of the day he's still made millions and I respect that."
And single Maria has made a very close friend in fellow candidate Duane Bryan, but talking to TV Biz she was coy about the prospect of a romance.
She said: "I love Duane, He's the most amazing bloke I've met in my life. We talk every other day.
"I'm single right now. I don't know if I'd date him or not but I want to see more of him."
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