Ex-wrestler grabs £250,000 prize as Apprentice winner

The 27-year-old recruitment manager fought off criticism for his ridiculous and arrogant personal statement and impressed Lord Sugar with his well-planned business proposal for a new niche-market recruitment company specialising in the science industry.

Martin revealed he would be hanging up his Lycra suit and stepping out of the ring for good, in order to focus on fighting all his battles in the boardroom.

“I’ve now retired from the wrestling ring. I’m hanging up my boots and my Lycra and that’s it now for me,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to be my own business owner and I knew I’d be successful in business. So for me to be successful in a brand new business, I don’t have time to wrestle.”

But he will keep his tag name of Ricky Martin, after the Latino pop star, and not revert to his real name of Richard.

He said: “From now on I’m still going to call myself Ricky, because that’s how I’ve always presented myself in business.”

The aspiring entrepreneur from Portsmouth admitted he was embarrassed hearing his personal statement read back to him in the boardroom, in which he described himself as demi-god Thor.

He said: “When they started reading it I shrunk in my seat and I was like ‘Oh God, I was hoping you wouldn’t bring any of this up.’

“It was a bit embarrassing, I’m not going to hide that.

Martin confessed he regretted promising to “teach an old dog new tricks”, but he did still feel he was bringing something new to Lord Sugar’s business portfolio.

Martin beat fellow finalists Jade Nash, Nick Holzherr and Tom Gearing to be named The Apprentice 2012.

They all said they were happy to have lost to Martin.