Lord Sugar has failed to recover legal costs from the Apprentice winner who lost her constructive dismissal case against him.
The multi-millionaire launched a counter-claim against Stella English for £35,000 when claims he employed her as no more than an 'overpaid lackey' were rejected.
Now he is £50,000 out of pocket after a tribunal in east London ruled she should not have to repay any of the legal fees.
Judge George Foxwell said the 34-year-old – who said she only had £200 in the bank and was in arrears on three properties – 'pursued her claim like any other litigant'.
Ms English burst into tears when the decision was announced.
Her lawyer Henry Hendron said: 'My client is over the moon the employment tribunal have found in her favour. She is now keen to put this saga behind her.'
Ms English was given a £100,000-a-year role with Lord Sugar's IT company, Viglen, after winning the BBC1 show in 2010.
However, she left the following May claiming 'it was not a role of substance'.
The mother-of-two said she then felt pressured into taking on a new role at another of Lord Sugar's companies, YouView – but during an unscheduled meeting he told her he would not be renewing her contract and she resigned.
She went on to launch a case against him but the employment tribunal ruled it 'should never have been brought'.
Lord Sugar's lawyer, Seamus Sweeney, said Ms English took the 66-year-old to court because she was bored with a 'real job' and missed the glamour of TV.
But Judge Foxwell rejected this, saying she truly believed she had a case and her claim was 'not motivated by malice or bad intentions'.
Ms English, who has been unemployed since July, said the case had a 'devastating impact' on her career prospects.
She said: 'I cannot even afford to feed my kids let alone pay the mortgage – that doesn't even matter anymore,' she said.
'It is my son's birthday today but I can't afford to buy him anything because everything we have goes on trying to survive.
'A couple of weeks ago I made an application for housing benefit and there is a interview set up. I have no choice.
'Unless I find a contract I will not be able to support my family anymore, I am losing close to 3k a month.
She added: 'One of my homes is about to be repossessed, the bailiffs are booked on October 8.
'The immense pressure as a result of the tribunal, and in particular, statements made by the respondent attacking my credibility has been a major contributor to the breakdown of my marriage.'
'I feel unfairly penalised for standing up to such a powerful opponent.'
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