A MATHS whizkid has been putting his number crunching skills to good use on the junior version of hit TV show - The Apprentice.

Ilford County High School sixth former, Arjun Rajyagor, 17, has been a key component in team Revolution's success on the BBC1 contest, Junior Apprentice.

Out of nearly 30,000 applicants - ten ambitious youngsters from across the UK were selected to take part in the competition, with each bidding to win the £25,000 prize by trying to impress billionaire businessman Lord Sugar.

Arjun, who is a prefect at the school in Fremantle Road, Barkingside, helped his team win yesterday's (Wednesday's) cupcake challenge by using his talent for figures to ensure they did not over order bases - despite other members insisting they needed more.

He even dressed up as a giant cupcake to help promote the team's products at a top central London store.

In his audition for the show, the brain-box - who is studying for A-Levels in Physics, Maths and Systems and Control, and an AS-Level in Further Maths - said: "My dream is to own my own company of electrical engineers because everything is becoming robotic, all manufacturing, everything pretty much, even your house.

"Even your microwave oven can be counted as a robot because it does things for you.

"Because electronics is my passion I have been asked to teach one of my teachers the subject, which is good fun.

"At school I'm the senior prefect so I have to delegate rolls to about 40 people and I have to tell them when they're doing what they're meant to be doing. If they don't I have to catch them up. "

The teenager also revealed he is prepared to make tough decisions to achieve his ambitions.

He said: "As accommodating as I am to people's variant abilities I think that ruthlessness is a necessary thing to be able to work in business.

"You need to be able to make the necessary sacrifices. You need to be able to tell people that they are under performing.

"You need to be able to effectively tell the boss, 'this business wasn't working.'"

It remains to be seen whether the plucky youngster will say as much to Sir Alan over the coming weeks.

In next Wednesday's episode (BBC1 at 9pm) the teams must choose two artists to represent at a private art sale.