A Scottish contestant on The Apprentice faced drug dealing charges it has emerged.
Businesswoman Natalie Hughes, 30, was revealed to be one of eighteen hopefuls who will compete to win Lord Alan Sugar's £250,000 competition.
The mum from Calton, Glasgow, was charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine four years ago.
Read more: The Apprentice - Glasgow hairdresser among hopefulls aiming to impress Lord Sugar
She faced charges at the High Court in Glasgow in 2012 alongside former Ayr United player Alex Williams, 33, and a 30-year-old man who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The salon owner's not guilty plea was accepted by prosecutors and she was acquitted by the Crown.
Williams and the 30-year-old man were found to be dealing Methylone, and 2-Naphthyl Provalerone, known as Naphyrone, and were jailed for more than two years after admitting a separate charge of having £20,000 of designer drugs.
The Crown seized £37,000 of crime profits from her husband.
Read more: The Apprentice - Glasgow hairdresser among hopefulls aiming to impress Lord Sugar
Natalie registered her first business in 2014 and has since opened two beauty parlours, including VIP Salon in Dennistoun, Glasgow.
She described herself as a hustler during her first interview and said: "I started at a young age, I'm a hustler. I've got the hustler's ambition."
She compared herself to hard-nosed Scots chef Gordon Ramsay and said she is 'the best' in Scotland.
"My salon is called VIP, so I always say: 'VIP - its the only way to be. Look VIP, act VIP, and be VIP.' I've got bags of enthusiasm, I'm quirky, I think off the mark, I think out of the box, I'm very hardworking."
"Failure is not an option for somebody like me."
Read more: The Apprentice - Glasgow hairdresser among hopefulls aiming to impress Lord Sugar
She considers her best quality to be her quick thinking, but she is also a persuasive talker who insists nothing embarrasses her and she has the motivation to win.
A spokesperson for Apprentice producers Boundless reportedly said last night: “Our policy is to make appropriate checks on all candidates — no criminal convictions were revealed.”
Watch Natalie go head to head with the candidates in the series debut on October 6, on BBC 1.
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