Lewis Ellis, a former Apprentice contestant, described being surprised when Lord Alan Sugar ridiculed him on social media for his’horrible tattoos.
The 31-year-old businessman participated on the BBC One season in 2019, where he breezed through the competition until the Interviews episode, where he was cruelly sacked before the final.
Lewis’ tattooed chest and arm were seen as he stripped down to his swimming trunks to advertise summertime in Finland as part of an assignment throughout the season.
At the time, Lord Sugar, 75, took to Twitter where he branded Lewis’s tattoos ‘horrific’.
‘Tell me where I am missing the point,’ the mogul penned. What does he look like?’
Lewis was quick to retort by sharing the topless picture of himself, writing: ‘F*** what other people think about you! Thank you to everyone who took some time to show support for my “horrific” tattoos and pointing out no one has the right to judge you or your body.’
But Lord Sugar didn’t back down and retweeted the post while adding: ‘Lewis, your tattoos tell your story. What are you? A Kindle? You have the right to do what you want to your body.
‘I have the right of an opinion. I say they are horrible. When your 50 on the beach you’ll wear a T-shirt. You will be an embarrassment to your kids.’
Lewis expressed his dissatisfaction with Lord Sugar’s views on the public forum.
‘I was prepared to be made fun of on the show, and I was watching it like a person watching the show, laughing at myself, laughing at what we were doing,’ he admitted.
‘The only bit I didn’t expect was Lord Sugar to start joining in, taking pop shots at you.’
He continued to The Sun: ‘Throughout the entire process, we were looking up to him and we saw him as a business idol, someone we wanted to be like. They always say “don’t meet your heroes”.
‘I signed up for the public to take the p*** out of me, I signed up knowing I’d get criticism, I didn’t sign up for the criticism to come from within the TV show itself.
‘I thought that was a bit snide.’
Lewis went on to get Lord Sugar tattooed on his body dressed as Al Pacino clutching a revolver after his experience on the BBC show. Yes, really.
The Apprentice airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
