Apprentice hopeful Daniel Elahi was caught with £5,000 worth of cannabis he planned to sell to students – something the show failed to uncover before signing him up.
The 28-year-old, who is now a Credit Suisse banker and owner of a lifestyle brand, had planned to sell cannabis to students when police discovered the drugs in the boot of his car in 2010.
After being caught, the banker admitted intent to supply and was sentenced to 150 hours community service.
Police had pulled him over after they noticed he was using his phone while driving, his Bristol crown court trial was told at the time.
After stopping him, they could smell cannabis smoke and searched his car. They found 17oz of cannabis, which is said to be worth about £5,000.
Daniel, who was tried under his first name Gareth, had planned to sell the drugs on to his fellow students at Leicester University, the court heard.
“I really can’t believe he managed to get through all the interviews for The Apprentice without them checking his background," a source said.
“I remember when he got arrested for drug-dealing. It was in the local paper and it was big news around where he grew up and went to school.
“You’d think the BBC would have done some basic checks on people to make sure they’re not criminals and drug dealers.”
Another old friend added: “Daniel, or Gareth as we knew him, always reckoned he was some kind of gangster."
“I can’t believe he’s turned up on TV on The Apprentice calling himself Daniel. Maybe he wants to try to escape his past.”
According to his Apprentice bio, Daniel set up his business in 2017 and likens himself to Jordan Belfort, the main character in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, because of his entrepreneurial skills and lavish, party lifestyle.
He says: “I have the beauty and the brains, typically people only have one. I was blessed with both in abundance."
Earlier this week he was given a ticking off by TV Apprentice bosses after photographs of him posing with a fake gun were published.
Another former schoolmate pal told how he used to hang around with his pals who formed a gang called P-unit – a reference to rapper 50 Cent’s G-unit group.
He said; “Even though he acted tough he was one of the softest lads you could meet.
"He once started on a kid about two years younger than him, but he hit him back and knocked his two front teeth out.”
Daniel is one of 16 candidates who compete for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment in the latest series of The Apprentice starting tomorrow night.
Speaking outside her large detached home, Daniel’s mum Shirley Elahi declined to comment when asked about her son’s drug conviction.
As she left her black Jaguar car on the road outside her home in Wraxall, north Somerset, she said; “No comment. You need to speak to his PR.”
Mirror Online has contacted a representative for Daniel for comment.
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