SHE put up a sterling fight but Luisa Zissman finished as runner-up in tonight’s Apprentice final when collagen triumphed over cupcakes.

In the final boardroom showdown the St Albans businesswoman lost out to Leah Totton after Lord Sugar said the “devil” in him wanted to take a risk on Leah’s proposition.

But he noted Luisa already had three businesses and was going to do just fine without his £250,000 investment.

During the show tensions ran high when the finalists faced their toughest task yet and had to come up with a brand, website and launch campaign for their business plans.

With the help of four previous candidates from the series Luisa started bringing her vision to life for a new baking brand, while Leah worked on her idea to open a medical cosmetic clinic.

Nerves began to show when after the girls finished filming a promotional video they had to pitch their business to Lord Sugar and 100 industry experts.

When they next faced the tough-talking tycoon in the boardroom he told them they both had “very credible business plans” and said he had a difficult decision to make.

The 26-year-old had one final chance to convince him saying: “I think I should be your business partner. The business that I’m pitching, I know will be profitable.

“Also, as a person, I have a lot of business experience of starting and running businesses and I would love to have you as my business partner.”

But despite her best efforts in the end the doctor from Londonderry was named as this year’s winner.

After the announcement the cupcake entrepreneur admitted she was disappointed but said she and Leah had grown close throughout the series and she was “very happy” for her.

Speaking about the runner-up on You’re Hired, Lord Sugar added: “In the case of Luisa, she has three businesses already, and the business she was proposing to me is already very much what she is already doing, she’s going to be OK.”

For a full interview with Luisa Zissman see next Thursday’s Herts Advertiser.