Biography: Kate Walsh

Kate Walsh is 27 and was born in Staffordshire. She has a BSc in Psychology and Management and is a Licencing Development Manager. She did work experience with her local newspaper the Chase Post in 1996, as well as doing a little modelling and working in McDonalds in the summer holidays. She now lives in Hampshire.

Her chief claim to fame so far is the reputed fling she had on the Apprentice with fellow candidate Philip Taylor. Accounts vary as to how serious it all was - she says she merely kissed him, but that things didn't go much further than that and the romance was over before it began. She also reveals that Sir Alan was not impressed when he heard that the two candidates were having a (sort of) romance.

The blonde Kate is one of the weaker candidates in the show. Her sales skills were abysmal in episode two when she was in charge of winning catering contracts, and her team only won because team leader Yasmina was so efficient at keeping costs down. She was on the losing team in episode three (where the teams had to design gym equipment).

However her strength is that all of the male candidates fancy her (Ben Clarke made a favourable comment about her figure in episode three), and it's likely that if she is on a team with one of the men as leader, she won't get called into the boardroom, and will thus progress further in the series than she would have otherwise. It's not clear what her skills are though, and if she has to be team leader herself, she may find herself on the way out.

Update 22nd April 2009. Kate was manager of the winning team in episode five, showing good decision-making skills in the process. This enhances her chances of winning the competition IMO.

Update 29th April 2009. Kate and Philip Taylor are now back together after splitting when the Apprentice stopped filming - Philip has met her parents and is planning to move to the south to be with her.  

Update 5th May 2009 According to Noorul Choudhury, speaking in the Sun, Philip made passes at fellow contestants Debra Barr and Paula Jones, as well as a female producer on the BBC series, before getting lucky with Kate. 

Update 6th May 2009  Kate was dragged into the boardroom for the first time, due to having made no sales in a task all about selling. She survived, because of her previous performance, but her lover Philip was sacked. It was telling that while he was defending her strongly in the boardroom, she didn't quite reciprocate. A very cool customer. The chances of Kate winning the show are very strong. Meanwhile, Philip has been all over the tabloids saying he'd like to marry her.

Update 27th May 2009 Kate was weak in episode 10 selling solo on a TV shopping channel. It dented her glowing record and has put doubts in Sir Alan's mind. She is still a very strong contender to win the series but this episode set her back a little.

Update 3rd June 2009 Kate got through to the final. She was very good in the interviews, and her controlled style means that she is likely to win the contest outright.