NOW WATCH FINALISTS ON VIDEO

By Simon Ward, 07/06/2009

LOUDMOUTH loser Debra Barr- who narrowly missed out on a place in the final-is backing pretty Kate Walsh to be Sir Alan Sugar's new Apprentice.

Feisty Debra, 24, who lost out to Yasmina Siadatan, tips Kate to win tonight's last boardroom battle.

Speaking exclusively to the News of the World, Debra admitted she's desperate to hear Sir Alan tell Kate: "You're hired." You can see both finalists head to head on video by clicking on the screen below.

Watch interview with Yasmina and Kate

Debra said: "It has to be Kate who wins. She's been the best candidate.

"Kate's strength lies in her ability to see what the other candidates are good at, then use it to win a task. That's a very clever attribute in business."

Last Wednesday nine million viewers watched senior sales consultant Debra being fired in the semi-final-as Sir Alan agonised over his decision.

But Debra insisted she was not bitter, saying: "It's better to end on a high in the boardroom than get fired for being useless.

FINALISTS: Yasmina (left) and Kate

"Sir Alan said he was sure I would do well. I'm determined to prove him right."

Debra, from Sutton, Surrey has now launched her website debrabarr.com and aims to use the skills she has learnt on the show to land her dream job.

And she graciously insists that Kate has ALL the right qualities to win the prize of a £100,000- a-year job with Sir Alan. Debra said: "She's an amazing sales person. She's good at presenting, brand awareness and marketing too. And she's proved that despite her looks, she's definitely not the ditzy blonde one." Debra is also sure Sir Alan will admire Brummie Kate's working-class roots and determination to succeed.

"She's gone from the bottom and worked her way up. Hopefully he'll respect that," said Debra.

And she insists Kate's relationship with fired candidate Philip Taylor will not stand in the way of her path to the top, even though it enraged Sir Alan when Lorraine Tighe blabbed about it in the boardroom.

Debra said: "When it came down to it, Kate said: 'Look I have no loyalties here.' It proves that she always puts her business life before her personal life."

Tonight's final-in which Kate and Yasmina must create, brand and market a box of chocs-is first all-female final since Michelle Dewberry beat Ruth Badger in 2006.

Debra grinned: "It's brilliant. The girls have wiped the floor with the boys. Women can be very tenacious in business. The fact that Kate and Yasmina are in the final is because they performed the best."

And she warned Yasmina will be no pushover. "She's an exceptional candidate. She's run a restaurant and has an entrepreneurial streak, but I think Kate is more of a doer. "She's a person you say: 'Right, go and get me £100 million in sales.' And she'll come back with £100 million and a pot of gold.

"Yasmina needs to learn to listen more-a bit like me. If you want to be project manager you have to take everybody's opinions into account. She didn't do that."

Yasmina

STRENGTHS: Structured, so controls teams well. Passionate about business and winning.

WEAKNESSES: Doesn't always listen. Lets desire to win take over.

RUTHLESSNESS: Admitted in the boardroom: "I'd s**t on anyone" then turned on best pal Paula Jones.

LIKEABILITY: More of an introvert. Missed her family and found that tough.

BIGGEST ENEMY: Me, as we're both feisty.

TASKS: Likes to lead, then makes them cheap and sells them high.

BOARDROOM: Goes on the attack.

Kate

STRENGTHS: Professional, loyal, friendly and good under pressure.

WEAKNESSES: Too smiley. Doesn't lack passion but needs to let herself go.

RUTHLESSNESS: Not as ruthless as Yasmina but was clear with Philip that winning came first.

LIKEABILITY: Good fun and supportive.

BIGGEST ENEMY: Didn't rile anyone.

TASKS: Great at bringing the group together like in the Treasure Flakes cereal-ad task.

BOARDROOM: That's when her edge kicked in.

Yas profits are a bite short

YASMINA Siadatan is desperate to land the £100,000 Apprentice job- because she only earns a paltry £4,000 A YEAR running her restaurant.

The News of the World revelation will answer Sir Alan Sugar's nagging question: Why does she want to work for him if she has her own firm?

The Mya Lacarte restaurant-which she started with her brother Matthew two years ago-makes just three per cent profit out of a £290,000 turnover. Yasmina scraped through to the final after a tense interview session where she fibbed about its profits. She looked flustered when she realised Sir Alan's interviewer Claude Littner had been going through the accounts for the restaurant in Caversham, Reading.

While the accounts do not list the salaries for Yasmina and Matthew, they show just £8,000 was paid to shareholders in the first year.

Matthew said yesterday: "Our focus is on increasing the revenue, not boosting our own salaries."

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