Lord Alan Sugar has confirmed that an Apprentice winner from 14 years ago has made the decision to end their long-running business partnership.
The TV host and business owner, 78, teamed up with Tom Pellereau after he won the 2011 edition of The Apprentice, beating runner-up Helen Milligan and finalist Susan Ma.
Together, Pellereau and Lord Sugar helped to build and grow the beauty business Stylpro, now famous for its range of LED facemasks and other beauty products.
Now Pellereau has been able to buy out the 50% share in Stylpro that Lord Sugar owned, indicating that he’s now ready to go out on his own.
In a fresh statement, Lord Sugar said: ’14 years after investing in Tom, I have agreed with Tom’s decision to purchase back my shares and return sole ownership to him.
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‘When I first met Tom, he was a naïve inventor with ideas and drive, but he desperately needed my business help. He has gone on to build one of the UK’s fastest-selling electrical beauty-tech brands.’
He added: ‘It’s now the right time to part ways and allow Tom and his team to take the company to new heights.’
Pellereau also published his own statement, explaining his decision and expressing his gratitude towards the former Tottenham Hotspur owner.
He said: ‘I will always be so grateful for the investment Lord Sugar made, and the potential he saw in me and my inventions. His time, knowledge and guidance have been invaluable.
‘While now is the right time to regain full ownership of my business, I look back on the amazing journey we’ve taken together over the last 14 years with deep gratitude and happy memories.’
Pellereau was the first winner of The Apprentice to have his company invested in by Lord Sugar, instead of being given the famous £100,000-per-year job offer.
Speaking to The Sun last year, Pellereau admitted that he and Lord Sugar had experienced their fair share of ‘ups and downs’ while partnered with each other in business.
‘He has always put a lot of pressure on me to succeed. He’s been like that kind of headmaster that just gives you a hard time,’ he said in October 2024.
‘And people sort of say, “You know, he does quite like you”. And you’re like, “Oh, he’s got a very funny way of showing it”. But we’ve had some ups and some downs.’
When asked what made him stand out enough to become the first person to convince Lord Sugar to invest, Pellereau said: ‘I think it’s really helped me that I do products, and that was his origin.
‘He started with car aerials, car stereos, then consumer electronics, so he really likes products and he has a lot to offer me in terms of helping with retailer dealings and with suppliers and that sort of thing.’
Pellereau added: ‘I think some of the other businesses, which were a bit different, I think maybe there was less synergy, so to speak.’
The Apprentice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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