Specs entrepreneur Gavin Winstanley the latest casualty on The Apprentice

Gavin Winstanley, left, argues with fellow Apprentice reject Edward Hunter

SPECS tycoon Gavin Winstanley got the push from BBC1’s The Apprentice last night – and admitted he didn’t see it coming.

He was put out of the frame by Lord Sugar after his team lost the weekly challenge by a margin of just £8. But Winstanley branded the business guru’s decision to get rid of him “a mistake”.

The 27-year-old from Liverpool was project manager for the third task, in which the two teams tried to obtain 10 different items – including loose leaf tea and chandelier candles – for the opening of the Savoy Hotel in London.

After a poor performance, Winstanley was quickly fired by Sugar, who accused him of bad leadership and poor time-keeping.

After getting the boot, the business hopeful said he was “gutted” . He added: “I thought he would have gone for me.”

Winstanley, who was hoping to expand his optical business 123 Glasses, tipped rivals Helen Milligan, Jim Eastwood and Susan Ma to go far in the competition.

He said of Ma: “She’s got a lot of bottle for a 21-year-old.”