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The Apprentice candidate Richard Woods chose not to inform producers about three mini strokes for fear he wouldn't be cast on show

Woods claims he also delayed having eye injections to avoid wearing an eyepatch on the show

Heather Saul
Wednesday 16 December 2015 19:24 GMT
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Richard Woods
Richard Woods

A contestant on The Apprentice has reportedly claimed he did not disclose his health problems despite having three mini strokes over fears he would not be accepted onto the show.

Richard Woods, who was knocked out of Lord Sugar’s entrepreneurial contest on Wednesday evening, told The Sun he decided against telling producers about the mini strokes he experienced ahead of casting.

“I knew they wouldn’t put someone on who had strokes,” he was quoted as saying.

“They are normally associated with stress and being fragile. I left it off the application, knowing what I was doing.”

Woods said he also ignored doctor’s warnings over his need for injections to treat his left eye so he didn’t have to wear an eye patch during filming, leaving him with lasting damage to his sight.

A spokesperson for The Apprentice said: “The care of our candidates is of the utmost importance to us and something we take very seriously.

“All the arrangements required for Richard’s healthcare were facilitated.

“At no point did the show’s doctor feel Richard wasn’t well enough to take part in the process, as well as Richard himself saying that he was happy to continue.”

The spokesperson told The Independent it cannot comment on candidates' medical history.

The Independent has contacted Woods for comment.

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