As the new Apprentice series kicks off on BBC1, many fresh faced, suited-and-booted hopefuls will be vying for two prizes – the coveted six-figure job for Sir Alan Sugar, and (perhaps more importantly) popularity and fame.

Many have attempted to establish themselves as stand-out personalities - like last year’s semi-finalist, Tre Azam. But speaking to the man himself, it quickly becomes apparent that when it comes to personality, Tre has the term “character” well and truly monopolised.

For anyone who watched The Apprentice last year, they would remember him as being arrogant, confident and go-getting. But we’re about to see a different side to Tre, that of a family man, and someone who overcame the odds to excel in his field. Not many people know that at the age of 18 following a car accident, Tre was given a five percent chance of walking again, and a five percent chance of having children. The accident left him with two steel plates in his back and steel plates in his legs, plates which continually cause him discomfort. Tre overcame these obstacles to both pursue a successful career in Marketing and also become a household name.

Tre arrives for our interview relaxed and in good spirits. His wife had just given birth to a baby girl. I ask whether he has photos, to which he quickly whips out his mobile phone - and there she is, on his screen saver and as his phone wallpaper. He also shows photos of his two year old son Ayan. When I say how beautiful they look, in typical Tre fashion he says, “They get their good looks from me and Ayan gets his brain from me. The new one is a little lazy, that she gets from her mother “.

Tre was born in Hackney and moved to Chigwell at the age of twelve. Eldest of seven children and son of the eldest son, the family pressure was already on, the kind of pressure which he relishes today. He started work in his father’s factory (computer manufacturing) from a very young age, “I was very hyperactive and demanded so much attention, it was the only thing my mother could do get some peace”.

Tre built his first computer at the age of seven, and learnt the ropes of the family business one step at a time. Although he chose to drop out of university, Tre stresses the importance of education.

“I got eleven GCSEs and three A-levels, but I dropped out of University because it was detracting from my path in business. Education is very important; you must understand the importance of learning. Knowledge is important but the type that you can apply, not just theory, that’s a waste.”

When I ask Tre how he is planning to utilise his celebrity status, he smiles, “there are two types of celebrity, the first which take the fame and become self engrossed and another type which do something positive with their new reach. I have a huge youth following, and I want to do something with that. Ignoring this would make me utterly stupid”.

Rather than falling out of nightclubs, launching his own perfume, and dating Danielle Lloyd, Tre wants to use his fame positively. Aside from running his own firm, and blogging for the new Apprentice series, Tre has some ambitious projects in the pipeline.

He tells me about a current cartoon series he is helping produce called Beats, Rhymes and Life.

“It’s an East London perspective on British life. It’s about a group of teenagers tackling political and social issues. It is entertaining, but addresses youth issues, a bit like South Park but with a message. If this show gives me an opportunity to help fix some of the issues in this country, then I will do so. It is political. You don’t need to be a genius to find a solution; it’s better than waiting for the useless things the government come up with.”
“I enjoy working with young people. I learnt the value of one to one work with kids; this is what made me do Beats, Rhymes and Life. I’m trying to change the thinking of the nation. First this country, then the universe, one step at a time, I am going to be Tre Ghandi. ”

On the question of the why he joined The Apprentice, Tre responds:

“A friend said I’d be good at it. I watched one show, saw Syed and thought if he could do it, I can do it. I filled in the application form, where it said what annoys me the most in the world of business, I wrote stupid people, ugly people and fat people. I didn’t even take the interview seriously.”

But Tre would only appear in another reality show if it were on his terms. “I would only do something on a business premise, no other reality show. I’d maybe even host entertainment shows, but God, nothing like Celebrity Big Brother. I’ve got the shortest fuse you can imagine, I can’t sit still for more than five minutes. I would climb over the wall after twenty-four-hours. When you are not learning you’re forgetting. No TV, no radio, no books. In six weeks I would become totally thick. We have the most powerful computer in all of us, why would I try to destroy it?”

Despite my best attempts to convince him how good a housemate he’d be on Celebrity Big Brother, Tre refuses profusely. I change the topic and ask him if he would consider going into Bollywood. “Oh yeah, I would want to be a Bollywood super villain. I don’t want to be a hero. You have to play someone forty years younger. We need a sophisticated villain, someone who can challenge the hero on an intelligent level.”

When I ask about role models in the Asian community Tre pounces on the question. “Amir Khan, I respect that boy so much. He comes across disciplined, dedicated and a Muslim. He is a breath of fresh air and has done a lot for the Asian community. I like to think I represent people, not just a minority, just as Amir Khan is doing; he is representing Britain”.

Tre has some well-thought advice for those he is representing. “Set an objective for yourself. Youngsters live their life by default; they do what their friends tell them or are doing. The sad thing is, as human beings we plan our holidays and our weddings but we don’t give as much attention that we should do to planning our life. In order to reach your destination you need to set it first. I am a big believer in goals. Know what you want to do and do it. Learn your field, do not set goals according to other people; set them in accordance to yourself. Understand what success means to you. Do not take negativity from anyone. Aim for the sky and you may hit the roof, but aim for the ceiling and you will just get to the light bulb.”

Finally I ask him how he feels about the modern day phenomenon of online social networking and Facebook, how I made contact with him.

“Facebook actually really annoys me! I don’t want to be poked; I don’t want to be a vampire. I don’t want to be a werewolf. I just want to say Hello and read my messages. If you want me to accept then say something interesting! If you want my attention, diss me but be ready to be put in your place. If you don’t look like a freak, I will get back to you quicker. We live in a very aesthetic society and it’s all subjective. If I think you’re busted then I think your busted. But what I can’t stand is arrogant pretty girls, they are worse than the busted girls. Seriously darling wash your face and then come back to me.

There is a new flipping application every week, kiss me, date me, rate me. I got whip me the other day. Well that’s a bit hard to do over the internet. Make an appointment and I will see what I can do!”

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