CONFIDENT accountant Edward Hunter last night became the first person fired from the new series of The Apprentice.

The 25-year-old from Reading, the losing project manager in the first task, failed to impress Lord Sugar and was axed after his team failed the fruit and veg challenge.

And Hunter, whose relaxed approach created tension in his team, said he felt the decision was the right one.

He added: “It was a fair firing. If we had won, I would have been given the bulk of the credit and because we lost, I have taken the flak.

“I have no regrets, that’s the bottom line. I wouldn’t change anything - I’d be changing who I was if I was to do that.”

Viewers tonight saw the two teams being given �250 each to buy fruit and vegetables, which they then had to sell for a profit.

Girls’ team Venture brought claimed victory by selling fresh fruit pots and vegetable pasta, while Team Logic, under Hunter’s direction, decided to make orange juice and tomato soup.

But he spent �150 on oranges without consulting the team, leaving his colleagues angry.

He said: “You’ve got all these egos and they all want to have their sixpence, and they wanted to know all the details like profit and gross margin.”

Hunter, who is backing marketing entrepreneur Leon Doyle to win the show, is now hoping to get a new food project off the ground.

He explained: “I want to introduce Afghan cuisine to the British public. I know they will like it once they try it, because I know how much they love Indian, and it is very similar to Indian.”