The Apprentice: week 4

Well, they sure can't run a restaurant (the boys anyway) as most of the commentators who watched last week's 'chicken carbonara' debacle seem to have agreed. But this week's task, taking photos of customers in a shopping centre, can't be beyond the (ahem) best of British business talent...can it?

Why do I get the horrible feeling it just might be?

9.05pm The candidates meet in a portrait gallery to be told that ther task is to sell shopping centre customers their portraits (get it?). Sir Alan issues a stern warning: bitchiness and rifts will not be tolerated. To facilitate things he's mixing up the teams...and opening up a whole new potential for friction, surely?

9.10pm Last week the sugary one wanted to know if Simon "had anything else other than physical ability", so it's no surprise when he puts himself forward as project manager. "I'm 100% up for leading things" he assures them. And his best mate's a cameraman, so he "knows about shutter speeds". Er, not sure how relevant that is, but we'll see.

9.12pm Simon's ultra-confident he knows his market. "These are my people", he says of Bluewater shoppers. "Footballers' wives basically," sniggers another. Quite. Meanwhile, Alex - who ungraciously turned down the offer to be second in command - is already showing signs of classic alpha male unrest...

9.16pm Helene's team chooses lookalikes to pose with the shoppers. There's a disturbingly realistic Cherie Blair and an even more convincing David Beckham. This task seems like a walkover - how bad can it be?

9.23pm Never underestimate Apprentice candidates' capacity for infighting. The girls on Simon's team have spent the past 20 minutes arguing between themselves. Meanwhile, Simon's decision to dress customers in his own clothes "so they look more glamorous" is bizarre. "I've got a talent for this - I'm David Bailey" he boasts, admiring his work. They might as well splash the words "pride" and "fall" across the screen.

9.30pm Helene "I'm a businesswoman with balls" seems onto a winner with the lookalike idea. But there's a hitch: Lucinda is clearly incapable of her designated job - processing the photos on a computer - and the customers, who've been waiting an hour and a half, are getting restless.

9.41pm The simmering tension between Helene and Lucinda has exploded into fullblown meltdown. I've got an uncomfortable feeling it's not going to be the last we hear from these two.

9.45pm Sir Alan doesn't care about technology. He just wants to know who's responsible. Lucinda says she didn't have the skills to do the job, Helene says she's lazy. Either way, Sugar's got a point. "A runaway success and you couldn't process the stuff" he says, shaking his head.

9.52pm Boardroom time and it's all coming out. Claire's exposed as having stabbed Simon in the back. She's doe-eyed, claiming to have been supportive, when eagle-eyed aide Margaret (surely she must have once been a headmistress?) steps in. "You treated him like dirt from the start," she says. Claire is silenced. "You ain't that bladdy great yourself," snarls Sir Alan. Alex is trying to pass the buck faster than you can say 'fired', protesting that he didn't step back from the situation. Margaret's having none of it. "You stepped so far back you were practically out of the room," she remarks drily.

9.55pm The candidates are on the defensive and it's getting a bit personal. "I'm sick and bladdy tired of it," says Sir Alan. He orders Claire out - of the boardroom and back to the house. A TV stunt? Either way, the boys' expression when they realise she hasn't actually been fired is priceless.

9.58pm It's Simon (pictured). Sir Alan would trust him to build a wall, but not with his investment portfolio. Heading out in the taxi, he has tears in his eyes. "I made a lot of people smile in that shopping centre yesterday, but ultimately I failed," he says, downcast. There's not many candidates you wouldn't be glad to see the back of, but despite his early arrogance, this one feels a bit sad, somehow.

(Picture from the BBC's The Apprentice website)

Comments

[Bam]

Where were the scruples!!? Responsibilty dodging seems aim number one, not winning the task. Shameful manipulation in the backroom from gobby claire, but Alex is slippery as a snake. Changing his mind with the wind in the board room, transparent and desperate is not a good combination. Helene was weak, i wouldn't employ any of them at the moment!

[magneto]

Is Alan Sugar deliberately rewarding prevarication, treachery, manipulation and outright lies? Third episode in a row where I was knocked sideways by the decision. Claire was actually REWARDED for her total lack of scruples and Blairite misrepresentation of facts. Hang on - Mr Sugar had just got back from dinner with the PM. OK - I see where we're coming from now. The idea is make things look AS THOUGH...rather than actually deliver...

[SMW]

Simon was stabbed in the back by Claire and Alex and then Alex appeared to turn on Claire - watch the body language. I'm sure they both went into the boardroom determined to stitch Simon up and when it looked like it might be Claire going Alex went against her. I can't wait for them both to be booted off.

[David John Marusza]

Scruples? This programme is about commerce - if you want scruples go to Lord denning M.R. not Mr Amstrad P.C.

[Johnny Fiston-Hewes]

There have always been a few really awful candidates (along with a lot of mediocre ones) but the class of 2008 have reached truly spectacular heights in their ignorance, incompetence and pure entertainment value.

They are no doubt encouraged to say absurd things to the cameras but for the programme makers to have picked a bunch in which one could find perhaps only 2 people suitable for any level of management (some are not qualified for business involvement AT ALL!) is a surprising feat.

[tim]

i love simon

[Peter Jones]

The Apprentice series reminds me why I left corporate life for the quiet calm waters of self employment :-)

[Mimi]

Simon had no leadership qualities. 'I'd rather be second in command' - to Raif'. Nuff said.

I know I have the attention span of a teabag but I find it impossible to follow what's going on. I get the feeling the teams are getting help with crucial decision making.

Whose idea was it to sell tickets for the pub food task last week? Whose idea was it to hire a look-alike for photography?

I'm bored with the whole thing. Srallen should poke that wagging finger into the eye of the firee to liven things up a bit.

[CHICO]

Great television, the producers have succeeded in choosing the nastiest bunch of people one could ever hope to meet, let alone work for.

Can we have a photo of Emily Ford as well!?!

[Tim]

I think it was obvious that Sir Alan and his aides saw Clare and Alex for what they are - so why didn't either of them get the chop? I suspect the answer has more to do with the Producers of the programme. They realise that these two are loathsome and as such they will draw an audience. Good telly - but what message does their survival in the show where Simon was sacked instead? He might be not be officer material but he did have enthusiasm and determination to get the job done. He was shamelessly knifed in the back by Clare and Alex and the fact that their behaviour seems to have been rewarded rather than punished leaves a bad taste and says very clearly that treachery in business is prized more than endeavour.

[Annie]

Great television.

Can't wait to get the hang of some of the would-be apprentices who have kept their heads down as yet, watching the others fail dismally.

It really seems that there is a co-relation between between being good looking and being poisonous - has anyone else spotted that?

Alex in particular is deadly.

Sir Alan gave Claire 'what for' and I suspect has kept her in for her fabulously spiteful ways, which make compelling viewing. Having said his piece in the boardroom to her 'I can't stand to look at you' (or similar) - how can she expect to get the job now?

Roll on next Wednesday...

[Keith Lawson]

Now the only grafter on the show has left, the rest will have to manage without him, displaying more of their weaknesses and untrustworthiness. Simon goes with dignity and the respect of most of Britain. He's better off out of it. While, we the viewer get to watch a bloodbath.

[John Demetriou]

I couldn't believe my eyes at the decision to be honest. There was absolutely no way Simon should have gone, and the only reason for him to even be in that boardroom for the final cut, in my opinion, is by simple virtue of his position as project manager.

It's a compeition, people have game plans. Simon simply tried to crack on and win and he got punished for the joke conduct of that prize poser Alex and the rancourous Claire.

Simon couldn't be in two places at once. He covered his part of the project excellently, and tried to whip up performance in the other group, which failed. Why should he have gone?

Sugar, who I normally quite like in this show, was a farce because he obviously made his mind up long before the task that Simon was a bit of a dumb barrow boy without the sneaky little office politics and tactcis that get you "ahead" in business.

Not impressed at all. Now look what you have left? Look at them all. Not a single good egg amongst them, just self-serving backbiting egotists and idiots who would undoubtedly jump any ship that began to sank as a result of their shoddy admiralty.

This is my fave show on TV, but I'm not sure I can bring myself to watch from here on.

[BobbyTheBadgeroo]

The whole thing is so laboriously over-edited like most so called reality tv to give b-list "producers" a reason to pick up their paycheck. Good/Bad it is like some manichean plot of a second rate soap opera. The sad thing is that with less editorial interference it would probably make a half decent program. But even animal documentaries these days suffer from the misguided belief that the tv audience needs neat predigested narratives to follow while they eat their neat predigested ready-meals.

[sian lange]

I will no longer be watching this show, as that is all it is, a TV show, not about looking for the best candidate. Those candidates who seem to be half genuine, honest and hard working get sent off, whilst bitchy, selfish, lying candidates get to stay on....very sad and says a lot about what Sir Alan! Simon has always been hard working, honest and genuine, but did not have a team which supported him. Claire is the worst type of person you would want to work with (bossy and not a team player) and Alex is a real back stabber.

[oldasiahand]

What a joke! It's all about 'entertainment' not business. Sugar is deliberately saving the most obnoxious and incompetent for the futue to keep the ratings up. He has prostituted the whole thing.

Simon was all army, the perfect NCO, solid but not entertaining enough for this dumbed down BBC product.

[ij]

Sir Alan's decision to give Claire a rollocking - when it was really a reward ie, being kept on and being made project leader for the next task - was for me all about investment in the televison ratings and a sham as far as this being a true search for talent. Knowing now it's just another tv drama has ended my interst. I suspect however it's no more contrived than every other "reality" programme. As John Lennon wrote "they keep you doped with religion ,sex and tv "

[Colin H. Snowball]

Sadly this show is highlighting the state of the current business environment, hard work, integrity and selflessness gets you no where. Admittedly, Simon was naieve and believed that the remainder would be focused on winning the task. Unfortunately, gamesmanship and arrogance it appears to be what is required.
This programme and Sir Alan would have more credibility if they fired anyone for telling blatant lines. In all the last episodes candidates have been shown to tell blatant lies in the boardroom yet remain, the one person who has shown humility, hardwork and teamwork was allowed to be stab in the back by two people who did little on the task other than criticise the project leader. Is this really the sort of people we want in business. Sir Alan should have fired the two for a complete lack of integrity and accepted Simon's admission that he would make a good number 2.
Lets start rewarding the correct values in business

[Jeanette Evans]

Simon - Do you really think you know about photography - I think not. It was not a requirement of the job.You were using a basic camera.Using your initiative was.Like all military they are full of hot air. Being fired was justified.
As for the woman and all the bitching well that is corporate life at it's best, fact.So why are we suprised when week after week the claws get longer? None of them deserve to win the apprentice.
Sir Alan would be a broken man financially and mentally if any of them had the slightest impact on his business.

[Paul]

It seems to me the format is getting tired in that the contestants are more concerned with playing the game than winning the tasks. Meanwhile, Sugar looks to be trying to spice it up in his own way by building up to firing one person, then having a late swerve - it was blatantly obvious he wasn't going to sack Claire last night after ranting at her more or less non-stop. I think he just sent her back early because she'd gone more than 10 minutes without eating anything!

As for the rest, most of them are hanging back so far they make Alex look like an eager volunteer. After 3 weeks I'd have trouble naming more than a couple of them.

[Clare B]

Simon was a nice guy and I'm sorry to see him go. However he made a major error putting himself forward as team leader for a task where he obviously had some technical competence. His team would have won the task if he had stuck to the role of cameraman and allowed someone else to project manage the team.

[PT]

How disappointing to see the genuine hard working Simon get fired. Unfortunately there are too many people like Clare and pretty boy in our industries today who are all talk and no action but have huge egos that can't be contained. These idiots can't work in a team and Sir Alan Sugar should have fired the pair of them. I wouldn't want a pair of obnoxious liars and cheats on my payroll. Simon was a grafter as Mr Sugar acknowlegded and he grafted more than everyone else put together, but still got the boot. I dislike the agression (from the women inparticular) and think this reflects badly on British business if this is how we do things today. No wonder the economy is in a mess. I don't think Simon will be putting up satellite dishes too long.

[John Nunney]

I think each week the public should get to vote on what gets written on the otherside of the taxi they get in, so as it drives off you see in big pink letters phrases like... LOSER, UNEMPLOYED, GIVE US A JOB etc, great ending to the show as drives around the city.

Also do you think Margaret is doing Sudoku when they all come back in the boardroom?

[Tom Hanna]

Great posts everyone but aren't you all taking it too seriously. This is a game show for goodness sake -its not real. These people are not real - they are caricatures of who they think Sralan wants them to be. People capable of earning six figures do not need to posture on TV and if Sralan intends to pay any of this lot 6 figures then I'm selling my shares.

[Christopher Icha]

The sacking last night of Simon has proved that Sir Allan Sugar is not really "the man!" How the hell can he claim to be "sick of the sight of" clare who so obviously scuttled the ship, and not sack her?

It should be clear to all who witness this debacle, that the program makers are calling the shots, which makes Allah Sugar a lackey and the show a complete joke.

I won't be wasting no more of my time on this farce.

[Helen]

Well, unfortunately, Sir Allan can only fire one person each week, that's the rules of the TV show. I think his reasons for firing Simon were genuine, not part of any plot to improve the ratings by keeping in the characters most likely to produce 'interesting' TV. Simon, by his own admission, would 'make a great number 2', but Sir Allan is looking for someone to play 'number 1', so, really, it was better for Simon to leave at this point. Claire will be next in the firing line, though; I'm sure Sir Allan wants to get rid of her and won't need to find any excuses to do so.

[Trig]

I actually found myself looking at my watch to see how much more I had to sit through (watching with my wife who would 'fire' me if I dared to suggest we watch something else). I have loved the programme since Series 1 Episode 1, but i'm starting to get a little bored of it now. It just feels, well, the same. Maybe i'm just not connecting with the people this time around, but based on what i've seen so far, I wouldn't employ any of them. And why could none of them use a computer? Its a good job Sir Alan doesn't make them anymore!

[James]

Srallan is not looking for a number one - he wants a number 2 he couldn't handle someone who was capable of taking his job! Fortunately there are no shortage of candidates for the title of "number 2" on the show"

[Tania Schullz]

There is room for integrity in business which neither Clare nor Alex displayed and yet were rewarded for being without ethics! I can not understand why some who is so self righteous and morally vocal would reward unacceptable behaviour. It is a myth that business requires liars, back stabbers and devious minded people, they do not add any value to business. Those days are diminishing where bullys ruled the roost. A very off putting episode and as much as l use to love it, not sure that l want to watch the bullies play out their egos on naitonal tv at the expense of honest people.

[Nick]

To Tom Hanna 11:25, exactly which shares will you be selling? Your Sky shares? Amstrad was sold last year. I am sure SrAlan would be delighted to have YOU managing his investment portfolio.

[Laurence]

I cannot believe that this shower of incompetent, back stabbing brats with over inflated egos are the best they could find out of 20,000 applications. Simon was the only one out of the entire 16 that any employer would have kept longer that 5 minutes.

[MARY]

In the US apprentice, they came up with a way to ensure everyone on the team has an incentive to win the task - the losing team live in tents until the next task.

[Paul Nettleton]

HAs no-one paid any attention to the Other Lot? A "Business Analyst" who can't work a computer? What a shower!

Yes, it is a shame that Simon got the boot, but as he said himself, his team LOST MONEY. That indicates failure on a number of levels, not just with the back-room processing. Furthermore, such a self-confessed "Grafter" as Simon was never going to get very far, as he seemed unable to manage without taking a major part in the proceedings. If he had just taken the photographs, they would have won by a country mile. As it was, he tried to do two jobs and got caught short.

[Bhavina Maistry]

Margaret to Alex: "I was there!!" So stop lying.
Lucinda to Helene: "I said from the beginning I've never used the camera on my phone, I know nothing about technology"
Helene in boardroom: "No you didn't tell me you didn't know anything about technology!"
Is it me, or is every week's tv show filled with a member of the team lying???
Shouldn't the TV Show have rules about lying especially since you are bound to be spotted by a million viewers even if Sir Alan Sugar knows nothing as to what goes on in his teams?
How do they even think they can get away with it!!
Well done Margaret though; I thought Alex looked like a beaten dog who was caught being naughty!

[Lisa]

Sir Alan was prejudiced against Simon because of his job. How could he realistically employ a satellite engineer instead of "the creme of UK salespeople" that are supposedly the other candidates - although personally they haven't proved they excel at anything at the moment other than backstabbing!

Next year, I suggest the producers pick the contestants and Sir Alan is given no prior knowledge of their skills/careers, so we get an unbiased choice, based solely on merit and their success at the tasks.

Otherwise, why bother having tasks if he's going to pick his winner at random, depending on whatever blarney/lies they come out with in the boardroom?

Simon, at least, has left the programme with his integrity intact, which is more than can be said of some of the other contestants!

Good luck mate.

[jpellingham]

Yes I am very sick of it. Particularly with 'Sir Alan'.

[VJB]

Sir Alan was right as usual -
Simon made a number of errors:
placing his stand too far away from his team of developers, spending too much money on tacky stuff, not having a David Beck look alike, I'd of put Alex in charge of photograpy and managed the back room myself.
I hope that Jenny red head will be the next out, a nasty piece of work.

[jane Tully]

What a nasty world.
I would not employ any of them.
My saturday staff could make a better job of these tasks. I am bored now. And as for Sir Alan, uncouth?

[tim mcneill]

Not only do the Government think we are all stupid. We also find that Sir Sugar and TV producers think this.Do we really deserve this type of television? Its enough to be duped by the politicians.

[Henry]

Shame the BBC have got hold of this program - dumbed down TV at it's best. Give it to a programme maker worthy of it's content. The BBC is only good for Daily Mail TV, News and more local news. Does anybody really watch the BBC anymore?

[maddog]

Someone commented that he can only fire one person each week. I do recall in one episode, I think the series before last, where he was so wound up he did sack two simultaneously. Maybe that threw out the programme schedule (or maybe that was planned too).

Like most commentators here though, I agree the wrong attributes appear to get rewarded, but whether that is SrAlan in full possession of the facts or editing skewing the viewers' opinions, who knows.

[Graeme]

Henry, if you're going to complain about TV being 'dumbed down', it might help your argument if you knew how to spell 'programme' and 'its'..... So exactly who makes better, more intelligent TV than the BBC? Compare the listings for BBC Four and Sky One...

[JAMES]

I love the Apprentice but it is not a "job interview from hell" it is just good telly.

And whoever advises S'Ralan on neckties, is takin' the bladdy mickey.

[Ian]

It's an entertainment programme, not a business "interview from hell".Sir Alan has decided(or been told) to keep the most volatile and aggressive characters in,irrespective of who may actually be the best candidate for a position.Things have changed a lot from the first series.

[Tony]

Simon is a nice guy but out of his depth as project manager. The sight of him crying because he had lost control of his task was perhaps the reason why Sir Alan fired him, more than anything else.
That would have been the time for a good project manager to assess the situation and find a solution, and sadly Simon was not up to it. Nice guy but not tough enough mentally for business.

[Tom Hanna]

Nick 13.02 17 Apr.

You sound like one of the 'I must get one over on the rest of this shower' wannabees on the show. It was an attempt at humour to indicate that I thought that Sralan would be barking to employ any of them. It was not intended to be taken literally. Now that I've explained this to you perhaps you should return to the humourless drone-like existence you emerged from to contribute to this blog. Seriously get a life.

[Norold]

"I'm going to have lunch... with the Prime Minister" Aren't you all impressed? What a prat. Who would want to work for a man like that?

[Matias]

Are these the British business tycoons of tomorrow? Gimme a break!

[Sanchez]

All I have to say is that Raif and "LEE McQUEEN ERE'" should make it to the final; opposites that have real character.

[Satya]

I adored Simons passion, integrity, hard work and emotion.

You are a true winner Simon.There is no need to tell yourself that you are happy with a number 2 position (your eyes and your body posture did not support this contention).You simply now know what additional skills you need to shine like the very bright star you are. Much respect to you.Keep fighting.

[Nersen]

It's TV...."reality" TV.
People are picked to be "characters"....

Simon was better than most in the group as a person one could work with- but he did not show the potential to be a top entrepreneur.....he would have survived if he had organised his photo business better and made a profit, even if others were not pulling their weight.

As in previous series, there are just a couple of people who have any realistic chance of being hired....the rest are there to create drama and get fired on the way to the final show.

Sugar does not make important appointments in his companies through this show.....but I am sure his grandchildren are proud to see him on TV!

Claire has no chance following Margaret's comments in the boardroom....but more spiteful comments about the others and obvious game-playing to try and wangle the job will make one more dramatic show. Simon would not have provided that "entertaining" TV. The other bloke, Alex, is also finished as he was shown to be economical with the truth....Margaret contradicted him in the boardroom because his version of events was not what she saw....he is finished as Sugar wants someone he can trust, first and foremost.

The question is, who are the normal people in the group who may get the job?
Maybe Sara, Lee or Jennifer?
We will see.

[Paul]

These people are a bunch of no-hopers, useless the lot of them. They are only there by virtue of the fact that they are unemployable anywhere else !

[Bryn Davies]

Sir Alan has my sympathy if he has to employ any of this bunch. Big ego's,loud mouths,no common sense and back-stabbers to boot. Mind you, right material for politicians.

[Giladi]

among Sir Alan greatest contributions – he is educating and motivating future generation to look at business in the most realistic way possible. Its priceless.

[tei]

this show is bull this people are idiots picked to be idiots,, yes lets sell macro cheese to the french,,mmm its taste great

graduate req in the uk is poor and looking at the people on this show the uk has a poor future,, do you need to go to drama school to get a good job in the uk ,,come to Japan and see how we manage talent

[neil miller]

Can’t believe these idiots cannot work a computer.
Anyone over fifty in this country is usually talked down to by morons like this about computer speak. I pods, diddlypods spread sheets camerology etc. Downloading pictures is not Einstein and where was the man they employed to do it? They should pay a man who can and then do what they can which is obviously nothing much. They should have found someone who could. Also as dealers when they get cash why don’t they put their own money in and win. Winning’s the game aint it? Why do they all get in one taxi and knock on doors of shops etc why don’t they spread themselves about? What is the point of 6 fools holding hands and giggling instead of making deals. I speak as a dealer in the antiques markets. Lobsters at £5 stop it, get on follow along.

These office workers apply for the job so they can have an early heart attack and be at the beck and call of a megalomaniac, good job tain’t it? If they had any gumption they would run their own businesses. Sugar despises them as he worked from the bottom like me and not the middle. I was surprised he fired Simon as he was a grafter and possible a listener while Clare is a giant know all. Her ego is fatter than her head.

They all seem to be like the prisoners on Blood Island they hang their heads in case the politically correct Japanese cut them off. Alan Sugar is the hatchet man. Pity he sacked one of the only grafters for a foul mouthed Clare. She would have trouble answering the phone let alone having original ideas. You could imagine her in a boardroom; “Shut it I’m speakin ain’t I? Ta Ta Neil Miller