Business blossoms for Apprentice star Melody Hossaini

She was the girl most likely to succeed – ruthless, super confident, multi-lingual, charming, and a tiger in the boardroom.

But 26-year-old Melody Hossaini from Staffordshire fell just before the final showdown of BBC's The Apprentice after failing in the reinvestment project and being told by Lord Sugar 'You're fired!'

Few will be surprised to learn that she hasdusted herself down and is making big plans.

And the founder and director of a global youth consultancy has told how being bullied at Great Wyrley High School helped spur her on to succeed.

The native Iranian, whose parents fled their war-torn country and settled in Sweden before moving to the UK, joined Great Wyrley High School at the age of 13. She told the Express & Star: "From the day I started, I felt culturally very different. Some students hadn't been to London and I'd lived in four different countries by then."

In fact she achieved 11 GCSEs, all A-C grades, and stayed on at Great Wyrley High to do her A levels, gaining two Bs and two Cs in French, German, English Literature and Psychology.

At the same time she got a part-time job stacking shelves in Sainsbury's at the Orbital Retail Centre in Cannock after deciding she needed to make her own money. She is well aware that her self-assured, self-promoting style on The Apprentice led to a mixed reaction from viewers, but oday life has never been busier. Her consultancy InspirEngage is thriving.

Melody has stayed in the Midlands and regularly makes trips home to Great Wyrley. She lives in Leicester and is moving to Warwickshire next week – but not before dropping in at her old school on Tuesday to present awards to pupils.

"I come home a lot, at least every other week and read the Express & Star when I'm home.

"I love the way the paper promotes social enterprise and community issues. When I was younger I used to pick up the paper and wonder if I would be in it today. I don't know why I thought I would be."

Maybe she could see into the future.