Fired Birmingham Apprentice star Shahin Hassan says co-stars threw him under the bus

The Apprentice kicked off the new series last night and the opening episode saw Birmingham's own Shahin Hassan (pictured) fired by Lord Sugar. The 36-year-old chartered engineer was the first candidate to be sent home after filming to impress the entrepreneur. The boys team opted for a safari tour whilst the girls chose wine tasting. Neither team got a particularly impressive profit but the girls pipped the boys to the post and were treated to champagne back at their posh new digs. That left the boys team in the firing line and ultimately Shahin received the dreaded pointed finger in his direction. He told Mirror Online : "I'm surprised I left in the first week. I thought I was a strong contender so I wasn't expecting it. Insisting that selling "wasn't his strength" and that he would have been better suited to the tour operating sub-team, he said: "I think I was an easy scapegoat for them as well." He admitted that he did feel like he had been thrown under the bus. I did sell something on the second day, I wasn't the one who didn't sell anything." Next week the candidates will be tasked with making ice lollies. The Apprentice continues on BBC One on Wednesdays at 9pm.