Entrepreneur sacked by Sugar expands business

North Yorkshire entrepreneur Rocky Andrews has sold more than eight million sandwiches through his Fatso's shops across the North-East, but he was fired by Lord Sugar in only the second week of the hugely popular series last year. However, Mr Andrews has just opened his first outlet in The Headrow in Leeds city centre, which is now the 16th shop in the Fatso's chain.

He said: "Leeds is definitely one of the best cities in the country as far as I'm concerned.

"I grew up just up the road in North Yorkshire and have always loved the place, so it feels extra special to have been so busy since we opened here last month.

"It's a big city, vibrant, full of life, bags and bags of fantastic creative people, and definitely a place that lets independence breathe."

Mr Andrews opened his first shop in his home town of Stokesley in North Yorkshire when he was still a teenager.

He turned his back on the chance of a celebrity lifestyle which followed his television appearance and instead focused on his booming sandwich business.

Mr Andrews left school at 16 to pursue a football career with Middlesbrough, only for his sporting ambitions to be cut short by arthritis almost as soon as he had begun.

Just a year later he opened his first Fatso's sandwich shop in Stokesley. The venture grew into the chain of shops employing 125 staff throughout the North-East.

The new shop in Leeds has created seven new jobs.