The Apprentice star Melica Moshiri suffered traumatic attack as a child that left her MUTE for years
THE Apprentice star Melica Moshiri didn’t speak AT ALL for several years after a traumatic attack as a child.
The candidate – who is starring in Lord Alan Sugar‘s BBC series – was left MUTE after a vicious dog attack.
Entrepreneur Melica was bitten when she was two years old – and didn’t find her voice again until several years later after her parents seeked help.
Melica, who has Iranian parents and grew up in the UK, told MailOnline: “Before I was two I started to speak but it wasn’t much.
“At home my family would speak a mixture of English and Farsi, which may have been a contributing factor.
“Then when I was two I was bitten on the hand by a dog. It really terrified me to the point that I couldn’t go near dogs until I was 12.
“From that moment, I think because of the trauma, I didn’t speak at all for several years. I was almost completely mute until I got help.
“My parents knew I couldn’t talk but I think they always had the belief I would be OK and I still had friends.”
Melica finally got help when she started school and was given extra support by teachers.
She was put on an educational, health and care plan.
The 32-year-old went on to study law at Brighton University.
She is now one of 14 remaining candidates competing for a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar for her AI tech recruitment company SkillTorch Ltd.
The Apprentice winners who have quit
By Conor O’Brien
Since The Apprentice launched in 2005, Lord Alan Sugar has crowned several winners.
In 2011, the prize changed from a job working under Lord Sugar to a £250,000 investment partnership.
While some past winners work with Lord Sugar to this day, other collaborations have long ended.
Here is a look at some of the winners who have quit working with the business giant.
- Tim Campbell: After winning the first series, Tim (who was 26 at the time) secured a position at Lord Sugar’s company Amstrad on a £100,000 salary. After two years, Tim left to start a perfume business – although this was later abandoned. Since 2022, he has been back on The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s aides.
- Lee McQueen: Having won series four in 2008, 30-year-old Lee McQueen was assigned a position at Amscreen. He left the role after two years in July 2010.
- Yasmina Siadatan: Yasmina, who won The Apprentice in 2009, fell pregnant four months into her £100k-a-year role. She worked for Lord Sugar for 12 months but chose not to return after her maternity leave.
- Stella English: 2010 winner Stella English went on to work for Lord Sugar’s Viglen after time on the BBC show. However, she walked out after 13 months of employment when told her contract would not be renewed and claimed she was just an “overpaid lackey”.
- Mark Wright: Australian-born Mark won in 2014 and used the £250,000 investment to found digital marketing agency Climb Online. He parted ways with Lord Sugar in 2022, selling the business for an estimated £10million.
- Joseph Valente: Former plumber Joseph won the BBC show in 2015. However, he and Lord Sugar ultimately ended their working relationship after 18 months.
- Alana Spencer: Alana partnered up with Lord Sugar after winning in 2016. She claimed the top spot with her cake business Ridiculously Rich. The pair worked together for three years – until Alana ultimately bought out Lord Sugar.
- James White: In a one-time situation, James was one of two Apprentice winners in 2017. Three years after he won the show, Lord Sugar left the IT recruitment company, but reportedly let him keep the £250,000 investment.
- Sarah Lynn: Sweets delivery businesswoman Sarah was the other joint winner in 2017. She and Lord Sugar parted ways in September 2022.
- Carina Lepore: After winning The Apprentice in 2019, Lord Sugar put a £250,000 investment in Carina Lepore’s Dough Artisan Bakehouse business. However, the pair ended their partnership in 2023.