A former Kent winner of The Apprentice has today lost her claim of constructive dismissal against businessman Lord Sugar.

Stella English, a mother-of-two from Whitstable, secured a £100,000-a-year job after winning the reality show in 2010.

But she claimed she was an "overpaid lackey" and had no real role at Lord Sugar's IT firm, Viglen.

Lord Sugar told the employment tribunal Ms English was effectively blackmailing him and was trying to damage his reputation.

He today said the judgement was a "victory for the law against the claim culture".

Ms English, 34, argued she was "ostracised" by her colleagues and felt her employment was a "sham".

She told a tribunal she only saw Lord Sugar five times in her 13 months with his company.

Ms English began a three-month trial with Viglen in September 2010 as part of a selection process before she won The Apprentice in December.

She continued the job at the firm, which supplies IT equipment to academies.

But she described the role as a "sham" because she was not allocated specific duties and had replaced a woman previously earning £35,000.

Ms English told the tribunal Lord Sugar offered her a role in a different company in June 2011.

However, she said he dropped the "bombshell" he would not renew her contract just three months later.

the tribunal case brought by stella english against me and my company has been dismissed. a victory for the law against the claim culture.

— lord sugar (@lord_sugar) april 12, 2013

The tribunal said it "found it difficult to understand why" Ms English resigned from the second firm, YouView, with just a short note to Lord Sugar at the same time she went to the press via publicist Max Clifford.

In a written judgment, the tribunal said: "There was no dismissal of the claimant - the claimant resigned.

"Therefore the complaint of unfair constructive dismissal contrary to section 95 Employment Rights Act 1996 fails and is dismissed."