Apprentice contender Katie fired
Just for you Shiv, this will give you a laugh.
Katie Hopkins, one of the semi-final contenders on The Apprentice, has been sacked, her employer has confirmed.
The Met Office, where the 31-year-old worked as a brand consultant, said she failed to pass a probationary period.
A spokesman would not comment on reports that she was fired because of her conduct on the show, but said that it was an aspect of her review.
Katie was offered a place in the final, but stood down after being unable to commit to a possible move to London.
After bowing out of the contest she sold her story to a Sunday newspaper, giving intimate details of her love life.
'Quite unique'
The mother of two from Exeter took unpaid leave from her job to take part in the BBC One show, said the Met Office.
Its spokesman also denied reports that Katie was earning £90,000 as a brand manager for the organisation.
She joined The Met Office - the weather information service - in September 2006.
The Met Office, which is part of the civil service, was "quite unique" in still having probationary periods for new members of staff, the spokesman added.
The probation period takes into account work performance as well as conduct.
Employees can expect to be on probation for a year, but the organisation retains the right to terminate their employment at any point during this period.
The successful candidate on The Apprentice wins a £100,000-a-year job with business mogul Sir Alan Sugar. Katie's inability to commit to the final means that Simon Ambrose and Kristina Grimes will battle it out on Wednesday's final showdown.
