The Apprentice: sole-destroying [BT broadband office]

The Apprentice: sole-destroying

Posted 17 May 2007 at 9:54AM by Simon Dickson in Light relief

Would you buy a trainer endorsed by Sir Alan Sugar? The task facing the two teams this week on The Apprentice was impossible to begin with, but as ever, it was one of the most entertaining hours of telly this week. If you're saving it for later, look away now.

I'm beginning to spot a pattern. Candidate's team loses, candidate has a narrow escape in the boardroom, candidate promises he/she will show how great he/she is if Sir Alan lets him/her be a team leader. Adam last week, now Ghazal this week - and it was an inevitability from the first few minutes. Ghazal had a rare ability to make precisely the wrong choice, on the few occasions she didn't let Katie make the choice for her. She had an innovative defensive strategy in the boardroom: Sir Alan ripped her work to pieces, and she responded: 'fair enough.' Indeed so.

What struck me this week was the appalling quality of the final presentations. Katie simpered, patronising an audience of her supposed industry peers. Jadine read from a script dripping in management buzzwords. I'm just glad we only saw tiny fractions of each pitch; suffice to say Mr Nike, Mr Reebok and Mr Adidas will not be losing any sleep.

And so to the boardroom, where - no! - Katie uttered those fateful words. 'Make me team leader, and I will show you.' Has she not been listening? She's looking and acting increasingly psychotic, despite that angelic white suit she keeps wearing for the boardroom scenes. And with all the northerners now gone, it's surely time for one of the southerners to bow out (finally).

Tre continues to make me laugh: one minute dismissing everything as rubbish and everyone else's fault, the next trying to claim all the credit. Simon showed great flexibility - in more ways than one. But Kristina just seems to keep getting things right, and is surely the odds-on favourite now. Isn't she?

Tags: Alan Sugar, bbc, The Apprentice

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Comments

1. At May 17, 2007 10:31 AM, hilary wrote:

Ghazal was really poor last night and totally deserved to go. She should have gone ages ago though, she was that poor. I think Simon or Kristina should win now - they are the best two left. Katie seems to have dug her own grave this week - thank goodness. She is quite revolting and I think she let her personal feelings for Kristina get in the way of the task this week. Actually though, wouldn't want her to go just yet as she is quite entertaining to watch!

2. At May 17, 2007 11:58 AM, Swineshead wrote:

A painful episode. Watching Katie attempt to engage with an urban aesthetic was the most cringe-inducing thing I've seen on TV since Blair's 'Am I Bothered' sketch. Owch.

3. At May 17, 2007 2:27 PM, kim wrote:

No all the women will - go including Kristina. If I had to place a bet it would be on Simon to win. Ghazal had to go, how did she last so long, she was way out of her depth. The "make me team leader" thing is getting a bit stupid but Sir Alan will probably kill that soon as most of them have been team leader anyway.

Tre is trying to control his temper, but its too late as we all know what he is really like, but he might just last until the final.
Katie really now just despises everyone and everything to do with the show. You can see it in her face all the time - she will probably be the next to go.

4. At May 17, 2007 9:54 PM, Mark Hamlin wrote:

This years bunch are poor in relation to series 1 & 2. At present Simon is the stand out candidate, however the interviews will be the real test of who has the mettle to win. Tre's business sense is good, however he does not always present himself in the best light. Katie is a witch with a capital B ! As has already been stated Ghazal was out of her depth.

5. At May 18, 2007 9:20 PM, John Fraser wrote:

What a sad lot you are. Car crash TV for the toffs. Get out. Get a life.

6. At May 21, 2007 10:35 AM, Tony wrote:

Are people so pathetically bored they actually sit and watch this program and as for the participants, obviously born to grovel, the fact they take part in such a time wasting program should eliminate them from winning anything.

7. At May 21, 2007 11:24 AM, Simon wrote:

The bad news, John and Tony, is that people clearly are 'so pathetically bored': ratings for the show are increasing week by week, with 5.8 million people watching the last episode. That's 25% of all TV viewing during that timeslot. And 2.2 million people cared enough to switch over to BBC2 to watch the 'You're Fired!' spin-off show straight afterwards.

8. At May 21, 2007 12:06 PM, Tim Evans wrote:

This 'competition' is the best opportunity to get into a job that many would you never have the chance to go for in the real world. I wish I had the courage to go for it and let all see my failures or successes!

9. At May 21, 2007 3:42 PM, Tony wrote:

5.8million people watched the last episode, less than half of them turned over to watch a spin off program, does that suggest the other 3.6million were just filling in time? Incidentally, the viewer figures quoted are very close to England's obesity problem figures, could there be a link?

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