The Apprentice: Was James McQuillan really a child chess champion?

The profile of James McQuillan on The Apprentice website describes him as a "former child chess champion".

I don't remember his name, and he is old enough to have been around in the days when I devoured chess magazines.

Nor can The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog or the English Chess Forum find any evidence for this claim, though one poster on the latter says McQuillan used to play for Thornbury in the Bristol League.

Always remember: nothing on television is true.