Lord Sugar's new business partner was wearing her school uniform when her beloved father lost his life in front of her eyes after she directed an ambulance through the caravan park to where he urgently needed medical care.
Just days after witnessing the heartbreaking event, boxing gym owner Marnie, 28, performed the lead role in her school's rendition of Grease, dancing and singing on stage in a bid to prove to the world her determination to succeed, even as a grieving child.
In an exclusive interview, Marnie explained to MailOnline how she kept her late dad by her side during the Apprentice process by wearing a gold bracelet he had planned to gift her when she turned nine, but he sadly died weeks before her birthday.
She said: 'My dad died very suddenly while we were in the caravan when he was 47. I saw the whole thing happen and I was actually the person that got the ambulance.
'I ran to direct them because they couldn't get in the site where we lived, I was running in my school uniform in front of the ambulance and there was this immense pressure to get them to the caravan quickly to try and help.'
An emotional Marnie didn't want to divulge exactly how her father died but explained it was an accident, which on a different day could have been avoided.
Marnie, who grew up in Oldham, Manchester, said the same week her dad passed she acted in a school musical after her mum advised that staying strong was the only way to move forward.
She explained: 'I was the lead part in a school play around the time he died and within two days I was back in school and performing.
'He died on a Tuesday and on the Friday night I played Sandy in Grease and was up on stage singing and dancing. My mum is very tough, and she said it's happened now, and we have to carry on.
'It was a strange time because I felt I had to step up and become the man of the house because my mum was never very good with forms or letters, all the admin that comes when someone dies even at eight years old, I felt very responsible. I became my dad, I had to step into those shoes.'
She fought off competition from 17 candidates to win Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment during the 17th series of The Apprentice and Marnie says her late father was with her every step of the way.
In particular, she felt his presence riding in the back of Lord Sugar's Rolls Royce after being crowned champion, wearing the gold bracelet he never had the chance to gift her.