The Apprentice is an Irish reality television series, in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a job as "apprentice" to Bill Cullen, a business magnate. The first series of the show aired on TV3 on 22 September 2008, and finished on 8 December 2008, with Brenda Shanahan as the winner. Shanahan worked at Cullen's company, Renault Ireland, on a 12-month contract worth €100,000. Steve Rayner, a Business Development Manager, won the second series in 2009. That series also featured Breffny Morgan. Michelle Massey won the job in the 2010 series, while Eugene Heary won in 2011. It was announced in May 2012 that the programme would not be renewed for a new series. The Apprentice is modelled on the American series of the same name, which stars entrepreneur Donald Trump, as well as the British series starring magnate Alan Sugar. Bill Cullen's assistants in the Irish version of The Apprentice are his partner, and former model, Jackie Lavin and PR "guru", Brian Purcell.

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Bill Cullen