Luton star of BBC's The Apprentice caught up in race row after fellow contestant allegedly blasts 'shut up Ghandi'

Accountant Lubna Farhan, 33, is among the 16 wannabes seeking a £250,000 investment deal with Sir Alan Sugar on the reality TV competition, now in its 15th series.

But according to a report by The Sun, a race storm broke out after fellow contestant Lottie Lion told Lubna "shut up Gandhi" during a group WhatsApp chat.

Lubna posted a pic she apparently found on social media of 19-year-old Lottie with a friend and wrote: “I thought she said she never met ‘a black person’?”

According to The Sun, Lottie then hit back aggressively: “Seriously f*** off Lubna before I f****** knock you out at our press training.”

Last Wednesday's episode saw The Apprentice candidates meet for the first time before jetting off to South Africa to sell luxury tours to cash-rich visitors.

"I am disgustingly ambitious," said Lubna describing herself.

She added: "I'm extremely competitive. I am Lord Sugar's next business partner."

Meanwhile, rival Lottie revealed her day job as a librarian before she goaded at the camera: "I sometimes think I go too far, but nothing's too far in business."

Despite these big words, once in South Africa the female team show a surprising lack of gumption picking a team leader.

Mulling it over a long pause, an admittedly inexperienced Scarlett eventually steps up to the plate.

After honing in on wine tours as their theme with a ludicrously high retail price, a series of inept sales pitches are followed by an absolute train wreck of a tour.

"This is as close as it's going to get to the cellar," says a lost Lubna in a fermentation room to a bewildered group of tourists after trailing through a maze of corridors.

Nevertheless, the girls' necks are saved after the boys' team manage to perform even worse.

According to Lubna's profile on the BBC's official website for the series, Lubna lacked good role models in her life so she decided to become her own.

She enjoyed studying and focused on educating herself first, which gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams and aspirations.

Now, Lubna believes she “has the whole package”, book smarts and street smarts, and describes herself as “a dark horse”.

She added: "I came from a council estate… I have made myself into something good and I’m on my way to becoming something great."