‘The Apprentice made my five-figure salary go down to zero’
They took a huge risk.
Fired The Apprentice candidate Melica Moshiri has revealed her business went from making five-figures to nothing in a matter of months.
The tech recruitment company owner was one of two contestants fired by Lord Alan Sugar in tonight’s episode, missing out on his £250,000 investment.
Though it was an achievement in itself to make it to week eight, Melica took a huge risk in taking part in the competition, having had to close her company to do so.
The entrepreneur from West Sussex founded SkillTorch two years before applying for The Apprentice, and insisted she had no regrets over the risk she took in the show impacting her business.
In 2023, her company boasted capital of £38,090, according to Companies House, but filming last year halted that figure.
Get personalised updates on The ApprenticeWake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Melica revealed to Metro that she had been warned she’d need to close down her company and that her finances would be ‘impacted’ from going on the show.
‘So I was prepared for that and I knew that was to come, but it wasn’t going to stop me,’ she said.
Melica Moshiri missed out on the £250,000 investment (Picture: Ray Burmiston/Naked/BBC/PA Wire)‘My belief is, you’ll only know if something goes wrong or doesn’t if you try it.’
She went on: ‘You’re shutting down the business, going from making five figures a month to then zero in one month.
‘So my graph in terms of business performance has been [drastically up and down] in the last year.
‘It’s because I’ve been on the show and they made that very clear when we applied that that is what’s going to happen and I knew to be prepared to either accept it or walk away.
‘I’m sure people did drop out for those reasons, because it is going to impact you.
Melica closed her business while filming, knowing the impact it would have (Picture: BBC)‘But the way I looked at it is that in the long term, it’s going to give me a platform, it’s a lifetime experience that I don’t think everyone will get to experience, so I was very prepared to do that.
‘At the end of the day, life is not all about money, it’s about what experiences you have, and that’s what I’ve always believed in.’
In tonight’s episode, after a disastrous hot sauce task, both teams were pulled back into the boardroom, with Lord Sugar, 77, ultimately telling Melica: ‘I can’t ignore the fact that you’ve admitted that you’ve been a bit disruptive, so on that basis, you’re fired.’
Speaking of her firing, she said: ‘It wasn’t aired but he did say, “I’m going with my gut because I think I might be making a big mistake, Melica, you’re fired.”
‘And I did walk away from that feeling good, because I thought that was a nice way of sending me off.’
Melica previously said Lord Sugar would be making a big mistake by not hiring her (Picture: BBC)Reflecting on her journey and achievements during earlier tasks in the series and winning as a project manager, she added: ‘I’ve definitely been the more entertaining one rather than being the serious one.
‘But in business, if you’re disruptive, it’s a good thing because you’re pushing for fresh ideas and pushing things forward and it’s different.
‘That’s what you need to be successful in business, to be disruptive in that regard. It’s better to do that than just to sit back and not say anything.’
Ahead of the series airing, Melica had boasted Lord Sugar would be making a ‘big mistake’ in not investing in her company, and she’s now stood by her claims, revealing the success of her business despite having to shut it down for weeks.
Sharing more of her background, Melica explained she lived in Orange County, Los Angeles, for four years before the pandemic hit, when she moved back home after feeling homesick and missing her family.
The recruitment company owner began her business two years ago (Picture: BBC)Across the pond, she had added to her decade of experience in recruitment sales, before finally taking the plunge to build her own business.
‘I’ve not had to hold anyone’s hand, I’ve done everything myself,’ she told us.
‘I’ve been very self-sufficient so it just made sense to me to start my recruitment company two and a half years ago.
‘What I wanted from Lord Sugar was to get his investment and help me scale it by expanding into new markets and hire staff, because in recruitment, the biggest expense is hiring staff.
‘But I also did want to get his mentorship from him and his team to enable me to be a much better leader.’
Melica was ‘gutted’ to go, but admitted her experience was ‘incredible’ (Picture: BBC)When asked by Lord Sugar about her business, she insisted how much hers was worth saying: ‘Everything is in the green, the profits and everything, and the costs are low – there’s nothing wrong with it.’
‘I just need your investment and your dedication to help me expand this, because I want to learn from the best,’ she told Lord Sugar in the boardroom.
Despite being ‘gutted’ to miss out on the life-changing investment and mentorship, Melica said her experience on the show had been ‘incredible’.
‘Overall, it was a great experience, I feel very fortunate to have been a part of that.
‘Roughly 80,000 people apply, I was one of 18 and got to week eight, that is an incredible achievement.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I wish I wasn’t fired, but there’s only one win at the end of the day, so it’s been incredible and even now, with all the support from friends, family and the community, it’s been brilliant.’
The Apprentice airs Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
