The Apprentice EXCLUSIVE: Winner Carina Lepore insists 'it was a GOOD thing' contestants had to live by strict rules... after ex-star Lewis Ellis claimed they lived like they were 'in prison'
The Apprentice winner Carina Lepore has insisted the rules enforced by the BBC show - which sees contestants be in bed by a certain time and have limited access to the outside world - are for the best.
Addressing the claims former-candidate Lewis Ellis made last week - that life in the contestants' house was like 'being in prison' and that the show didn't look out for the welfare of the participants - Carina, 30, exclusively told Mailonline: 'We had a curfew to make sure we got enough sleep. I liked the fact there was a curfew in place, it helped us keep focused for the next day's competition.
'I would rather go to bed at 9PM or 10PM than be up all hours and not have the energy to do my best. It was a good thing.'
The Apprentice winner Carina Lepore has insisted the rules enforced by the BBC show - which sees contestants be in bed by a certain time and have limited access to the outside world - are for the best
Digital Marketing Project Manager Lewis, who was fired in the penultimate episode, claimed contestants were babysat 24/7, with producers 'following them to the toilet' and 'sleeping outside the bedroom door'. He added that his hair fell out due to stress.
Praising the team behind the scenes, artisan bakery owner Carina - who stormed to victory during Wednesday night's grand finale - went on: 'I felt completely supported by the team and there was always support in place if we needed it.
'I don't know what Lewis saw or what his experience was, I wasn't followed to the toilets and didn't see any producers sleeping outside our doors.
'It was a positive experience for me. If we needed someone to talk to, they were there. They couldn't do enough for us.'
Sour grapes? Former-candidate Lewis Ellis made claims last week that life in the contestants' house was like 'being in prison' and that the show didn't look out for the welfare of the participants
Praising the team behind the scenes, artisan bakery owner Carina - who stormed to victory during Wednesday night's grand finale - went on: 'I felt completely supported by the team and there was always support in place if we needed it'
Runner-up Scarlett Allen-Horton, 32, echoed Carina's glowing sentiments, saying: 'I don't know anything about what Lewis has said. I have to credit the team behind the scenes. They were always there for us and we never felt alone.
'We were given whatever support we needed at any time. We were also given breaks when we needed them and time away from the cameras.'
The comments comes after Lewis' explosive interview after his firing in which he said: 'If the BBC want to ensure they don't end up with a reality show tragedy they need to improve contestant welfare and support.
Lewis pointed to the deaths of reality show stars such as ITV2 Love Island contestant Mike Thalassitis who was found dead in a park near his London home in March.
The comments comes after Lewis' explosive interview after his firing in which he said: 'If the BBC want to ensure they don't end up with a reality show tragedy they need to improve contestant welfare and support'
Thalassitis' death sparked calls for improved aftercare for people who take part in reality TV shows.
'Lord Sugar says the Apprentice is different to Jeremy Kyle and Love Island yet these are the shows where people have been abused and have killed themselves,' Lewis insisted.
The Apprentice star went onto discuss life in the North London mansion where the contestants all live for the duration of filming.
'Life in the house is like a big prison and three to four hours' sleep is normal,' claimed Lewis. 'Afterwards you are offered an appointment with a counsellor but that's it.
Banned items include phones, iPads, laptops - and even diaries - as wannabes are totally cut off from the outside world. 'You couldn't go out, you could only occasionally watch TV. There was no real warning what it would be like in the house,' he continued.
Sensible: 'I would rather go to bed at 9PM or 10PM than be up all hours and not have the energy to do my best. It was a good thing,' she asserted
Runner-up Scarlett Allen-Horton, 32, echoed Carina's glowing sentiments, saying: 'I don't know anything about what Lewis has said. I have to credit the team behind the scenes. They were always there for us and we never felt alone'
'Day to day life was miserable. On task day you'd be up at 3 or 4 in the morning and not get back until 11pm. Getting four hours sleep was normal.'
An Apprentice spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The candidates are all briefed about the process of the show before they start filming. The in-house producers’ role is to both provide support during filming as well as ensuring the candidates all follow the rules of the competition for fair participation throughout.’
Regarding the early starts, they added: 'Some tasks require early starts, applicants to the show are advised of this before they agree to take part.
'Candidates have time off from filming each week and every year we provide gym facilities within the house.
'Candidates were also taken to the gym for exercise sessions by the producers. We provide all the candidate’s food while they are in the house and cater for a wide range of individual food preferences.’
Critical: 'Lord Sugar says the Apprentice is different to Jeremy Kyle and Love Island yet these are the shows where people have been abused and have killed themselves,' Lewis insisted
Champ! 'I don't know what Lewis saw or what his experience was, I wasn't followed to the toilets and didn't see any producers sleeping outside our doors,' Carina said
Lewis also said: 'We were allowed one phone call home a week - for five minutes. If you had kids you were allowed 10 minutes. But a member of the production team would sit next to you. Prisoners get longer to talk to their loved ones.'
'You are babysat 24/7 and followed to the toilet. Live-in producers would walk into the bathroom when you were getting ready. They would sleep outside your bedroom door. You get treated like a child'.
The Apprentice spokesperson hit back with: ' ‘There are strict rules about contact with the outside world to avoid cheating and everyone has to be treated in the same way as it is a competition.
'This is made clear to the candidates before they agree to take part. Additional contact with home is facilitated for candidates with children.
'We regularly facilitate extra contact with families for any candidate requesting it, so long as it does not interfere with the fairness of the competition.’
Lewis alleged that crew members disrespected the candidates, claiming: 'A number of candidates were unhappy with how they were spoken to. A driver taking people to a task started swearing and shouting at Dean - and scared the girls. HR had to come in and talk to him, but he was allowed to keep his job.'
Weighing in: 'It was a positive experience for me. If we needed someone to talk to, they were there. They couldn't do enough for us,' she asserted
Lewis, who previously suffered alopecia when taking his Masters degree, said: 'I noticed in week four I was losing my hair. I was getting a patch on the side of my head, then weeks later on the back of my head'
The business owner went on to claim that his hair started falling out during filming.
Lewis, who previously suffered alopecia when taking his Masters degree, said: 'I noticed in week four I was losing my hair. I was getting a patch on the side of my head, then weeks later on the back of my head.'
An Apprentice spokesperson said: 'Candidates are supported throughout filming with access to a private doctor should they have any medical issues.’
Lewis continued: 'Make-up people were covering it up for me and I was using some of the girls' make-up. I hoped I'd be able to keep the condition under control, go to the gym, sleep and eat the kind of food I normally do. But that wasn't the case.
'And the stress made it worse. Off-camera production people would ask you negative questions to try to prompt you to say things about other candidates.'
A spokesperson for The Apprentice said: 'Every show is a fair and balanced representation of events. Candidates’ views are their own.’
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