The Apprentice EXCLUSIVE: 'I was essentially a refugee!' Semi-finalist Elizabeth McKenna reveals how she fled from Australia... and turned traumatic past into thirst for success

Published: 23:00 GMT, 13 December 2017 | Updated: 22:25 GMT, 18 December 2017

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She missed out on a place in the final two on Wednesday evening's penultimate episode of The Apprentice.

Yet Elizabeth McKenna has still managed to be the standout star of the latest season, having hoped to gain investment from Lord Sugar for her florist business.

And only now, as the show reaches it's end, has the trauma of her past come out of the woodwork - with the 39-year-old adamant that she does not let it define her and that she purposely didn't mention it during the series.

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'I was essentially a refugee!' Semi-finalist Elizabeth McKenna reveals how she fled from Australia... and turned traumatic past into thirst for success

Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'My dad was a very difficult person. I was brought up in Australia but we left because of him. I was 13.

'We were essentially refugees. But, I won't ever use that as a crutch.

'Experiences like that are part of what makes you. And it gives you strength.'

Elizabeth - who owns three florists called Flowers By Susan - also credited her mother as a source of inspiration.

'I get my strength from my mum; and my work ethic. She started her life over at 51. She had two kids and £1000 in the bank.'

Honest: Speaking to MailOnline, she said 'My dad was a very difficult person. I was brought up in Australia but we left because of him. I was 13'

Tough cookie: Elizabeth has more than proven her strength throughout the season, and admits that she was disappointed at falling at the final hurdle

Elizabeth has more than proven her strength throughout the season, and admits that she was disappointed at falling at the final hurdle. Nonetheless, she insists she is 'thrilled for the two that got through' [James White and Sarah Lynn].

'Those two are mega. They are both worthy winners for very different reasons. Whoever wins will be worthy of it,' she said.

'I went into the show thinking I’m going to do it. Bonkers stuff happened. But I never, at any point, blamed other people, I always put my money where my mouth is. No guts no glory.'

Elizabeth says she has taken on board all the comments she received through the show, and that she has used it to hone in on her flower business, and perfect her plans for expansion.

Standout star: Elizabeth says she has taken on board all the comments she received through the show, and that she has used it to hone in on her flower business, and perfect her plans for expansion

Fighting for it: 'The boardrooms were the most challenging,' she admitted, despite the fact that the series began with a flurry of wins by the girls team, with a woman not being sent home until week four

She also said that her proudest moment was when she Project Managed the team to victory when Lord Sugar sent them to Bruge, and that she loved the dog task as if' took me back home, dealing with people'.

'The boardrooms were the most challenging,' she admitted, despite the fact that the series began with a flurry of wins by the girls team, with a woman not being sent home until week four.

'It's not about girls vs boys though,' she concluded. 'Women aren't better than men. It's about the individual. The weaker candidates were sent home one by one. That's it.'

The Apprentice final airs on BBCOne on Sunday evening at 9PM.