Daisy chief joins Apprentice team

Matthew Riley is set to be one of the interviewers for the final stages of BBC hit show The Apprentice

Matthew Riley, chief executive of Daisy Group, has been handpicked by Lord Alan Sugar to help him grill the final four contestants on The Apprentice.

Riley will be one of four interviewers selected to question the final group of candidates, before the winner is crowned, and walks away with a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar in their business idea.

Daisy was founded in Riley’s garage 10 years ago, and is expected to turn over £340m in 2012, employing more than 1,400 people nationwide. Riley also won a £5m investment from Sir Philip Green in 2007 after a Bank of Scotland Entrepreneur Challenge in 2007.

In a statement, Riley said: “It was fascinating to play a part in this year’s show, particularly with the opportunity for a 50/50 partnership with Lord Sugar at stake. Having been in a similar position myself, four years ago with the Entrepreneur Challenge and presenting my own business case to Sir Philip Green, I understood the position the contestants were in and just how intense the pressure can be.

“The Apprentice has become a mainstay of British culture over the last few years and has really taken entrepreneurism and the idea of running a successful business to a much wider audience," he added.