Apprentice Reece Donnelly: I would choose health over wealth any day

Apprentice contestant Reece Donnelly has insisted he left the reality show on health grounds and had no regrets.

Reece, 25, from Glasgow, was the first Scot to appear on the BBC programme for eight years.

In Thursday's episode he was filmed at Heathrow with his fellow contestants before they caught a flight to Dubai for their latest challenge.

But the clip proved to be the theatre school owner's last appearance on The Apprentice.

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The only explanation for his departure was when Lord Sugar told the remaining candidates: "As you know Reece wasn't able to take part in the task and has subsequently left the process."

In his first interview since the show aired, Reece told BBC Scotland's The Edit: "Unfortunately I had to leave the process due to health issues.

"I know there is a million and one media speculation and stories running around and I just want to make that clear."

During his time on the show he lived in London with his fellow 17 contestants and travelled to Brighton, Antigua and Dubai.

The 17th series of The Apprentice started with 18 candidates vying for a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar

He added: "Sometimes you just need to listen to your body is all I have got to say on it and the show is tough.

"For me, who is such a go-getter, it was one of the hardest choices I have ever had to make but it is a choice that I stand by now.

"Nine months later I'm all good and I'm here."

Reece said he had a "great time" on the show but added: "I would choose health over wealth any day."

He also told the programme the best advice he would give any prospective contestant would be to "sit back a wee bit".

'He has some patter'

Reece said: "Me being me and me being Scottish I am giving it welly every episode, every task, and I feel like if I was to do it again I would have stood back and let other people run."

The entrepreneur said the intense glare of publicity is also something candidates must learn to live with and joked: "It amazes me some of the things I hear about myself."

Looking to the future, Reece is preparing to franchise his theatre school across the UK but said he would always cherish his experiences on The Apprentice.

Asked about Lord Sugar, he said: "I would not say he is scary but he has some patter."

A spokesperson for The Apprentice said: "Reece was unable to continue in the process, this was discussed and agreed between Reece and programme-makers."