The Apprentice finalists reveal the big lie they told to keep their appearance on the show a secret

Before the latest series had aired, Scarlett and Carina - who'll be battling it out for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment – had to deceive friends and family while their role as candidates was still under wraps.

"It was really tough and I'm not a very good liar," admitted Scarlett, who's the owner of a recruitment company.

"When you're in the process they're so secretive, you get used to not talking about it, not talking to other people about it. It's very strange to be able to talk about it.

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"The process in some ways was easier, not talking about it, but it was just hard when you went back because you wanted to tell everyone about it. You wanted to tell them [friends and family] everything that happened, but obviously you couldn't."

To keep their involvement in The Apprentice a secret, both Carina and Scarlett settled on the same lie – jury service.

"I said it was a really intense case so I can't talk about it," Scarlett admitted.

"I think that's pretty similar to the show anyway, as in no one would dive into any questions because it is what it is," Carina added.

Interview by Kimberley Bond

The Apprentice final airs 9pm on Wednesday, 18 December on BBC One