June 4th, 2012 by Lisa McGarry.
The Apprentice drew to a close last night, as professional wrestler Ricky Martin took the £250,00 investment fund and won over Tom gGearing and Jade Nash in the final episode of the series….but fear not Sugar fans as the man himself has confirmed that he will be back.
Some critics had blasted the most recent run as boring and old and insiders had suggested that the BBC was considering axing the show from next year’s schedules.
However, Lord Alan Sugar took to Twitter last night to reveal that in fact, channel bosses want at least two more series of the show from him and the team.
Read more & comment »
June 3rd, 2012 by Lisa McGarry.
After twelve intensive weeks in competition alongside some of Britain’s top entrepreneurs, 26-year-old recruitment manager Ricky Martin has beaten fifteen other candidates to land the prestigious prize of a business partnership with Lord Sugar, along with an investment of up to £250,000.
In last night’s episode, Ricky battled it out in a four-way final against 23-year-old wine investor Tom Gearing, 29-year-old business development manager Jade Nash and 25-year-old technology entrepreneur Nick Holzherr. With Jade and Nick fired first, Ricky went up against Tom in the last two.
Ricky was declared Lord Sugar’s business partner at the end of a twelve-week process, which saw Ricky divulge the business plan in which he was hoping to secure Lord Sugar’s investment – a recruitment agency specialising in science and technology.
Read more & comment »
June 3rd, 2012 by Lisa McGarry.
Don’t fire The Apprentice just yet.
@HarryMaxwell from Young Apprentice here – your resident Unreality TV squatter, sorry columnist….
Last week I went to the BAFTAs and got chatting to Kate Ford who plays Tracy Barlow in Corrie. In between my interpretive-round-the-BAFTA-dancing to the Coronation Street theme tune (joke), I learned thst Kate is a closet Apprentice superfan. However like many people I’m speaking to, she feels the latest series lacks summat-summat.
Read more & comment »
June 3rd, 2012 by TV Writer Lynn.
The Apprentice candidate Nick Holzherr has revealed that he’s been lucky or unlucky enough – depending on your viewpoint – to have received the gift of pants from a gay fan.
However, Nick, who is of reportedly dating fellow Apprentice candidate Gabrielle Omar, added that they were no ordinary pants and were in fact stylish and trendy, and hopefully unused, Calvin Klein boxers worth £50.
Speaking to TV Biz, Nick said, “I did get boxer shorts sent to me. I had a few. They were clean and pink. They’re actually quite nice and I have worn them.
“They were from a fan, a gay gentleman. He got the right size!
“He said something along the lines of ‘I’m a great fan, don’t take this the wrong way… ’
“It was very nice of him to send them. He did it on several occasions.”
Cheeky Nick added, “In future I could do with some socks as well!” Read more & comment »
June 3rd, 2012 by TV Writer Lynn.
As fans of The Apprentice will know, it’s the show’s big final tonight, but for one candidate, Ricky Martin, things don’t get off to a good start when Lord Sugar’s adviser Claude Littner lays into him, labeling his personal statement. “crass, obnoxious and infantile.”
Claude adds, “Some of the statements you’ve made are completely ludicrous…
“The problem is that you’re an arrogant fool.”
He adds, “Probably the most crass, obnoxious and infantile personal statement that I’ve had the… not really a pleasure, I’ve had the opportunity of reading.”
However, Ricky isn’t the only one to feel the heat tonight as his fellow finalists Jade Nash, Nick Holzherr and Tom Gearing are all put through the wringer by Claude, though arguably, Ricky’s in the deepest hot water when he has to apologise for likening himself to the demi-god Thor.
He’s also in the dog house for calling Lord Sugar an “old dog” who he promises to teach “new tricks”. Read more & comment »
May 30th, 2012 by Lisa McGarry.
After 11 demanding weeks battling it out, only four candidates remain in Lord Sugar’s search for a business partner and it’s time for them to face their toughest challenge yet.
On SUNDAY 3RD JUNE, 8.30PM on BBC ONE, Lord Sugar will decide who will become his new business partner and win an investment to the value of £250,000 founded on the basis of their business idea. A special edition of The Apprentice: You’re Hired! will follow at 9.30PM, also on BBC ONE.
This year, four candidates will battle it out in the final; 23-year-old Director of a Fine Wine Investment Company Tom Gearing, 26-year-old Recruitment Team Manager Ricky Martin, 29-year-old Business Development Manager Jade Nash and 25-year-old Technology Entrepreneur Nick Holzherr will go head to head to impress Lord Sugar with their business ideas as well as facing his four advisors in the tough interview round. The wheat will be separated from the chaff as Lord Sugar prepares to offer one of them a life changing opportunity.
Read more & comment »
May 30th, 2012 by Lisa McGarry.
After the candidates’ final task in which the teams had to create a new luxury product range and pitch it to industry experts, as well as Lord Sugar himself, it’s back to the boardroom.
First, Lord Sugar addresses Ricky, who put himself forward as Project Manager on Sterling. Ricky explains that he wanted to be Project Manager for the third time because after two previous losses in the role, he was determined to prove himself. He outlines why they selected to produce a male grooming range before Lord Sugar explains that he felt that the branding was a bit boring, stating, “a quality product looks the business, that didn’t look the business to me.”
Read more & comment »
May 30th, 2012 by Lisa McGarry.
With one week to go, it’s the last chance for the candidates to earn themselves a place in the final. The candidates are summoned to meet Lord Sugar at Burlington Arcade, tucked away in London’s West End and home to the finest in luxury retail.
There, Lord Sugar greets them and explains their final task:
“This is a famous arcade; I suppose you would say the original shopping centre. We are in recessionary times at the moment but there’s still a great market for luxury products, the key is they have to be affordable luxury products. Your task this week is to create an affordable luxury product range and then you’ll be presenting to industry experts, and here’s the bad news, and me, what your business model is all about.”
Read more & comment »
May 24th, 2012 by TV Writer Lynn.
As fans of The Apprentice will know, both Stephen Brady and Gabrielle Omar were eliminated last night by Lord Sugar, and today, MSN reports that Gabrielle claims that working with Stephen on their task was “a nightmare.”
She said, “Stephen and I had a really big personality clash and we couldn’t really work together.
“But on that last task we’d both had enough of arguing with each other and we hadn’t had enough sleep and all the pressure that was on his head was filtering out.
“It was just a bit of a nightmare. I thought, ‘I wish I’d called in sick this morning!’”
Gabrielle also reckons she was just too nice to get ahead in the contest, and her fellow candidates saw her as “the weak link…” Read more & comment »
May 24th, 2012 by TV Writer Lynn.
Stephen Brady, who was axed from The Apprentice last night in a shock double elimination alongside Gabrielle Omar, has revealed that he thinks Lord Sugar is so scary, he’d unnerve anyone, including Simon Cowell.
Speaking to TV Biz, Stephen said, “That finger would probably scare the life out of anybody — whether it is Simon Cowell or Stephen Brady, to be honest.”
However, Stephen did rather set himself up for a fall this week, having narrowly escaped the boot last week and promising to win this week’s task. He didn’t of course, so it was game over for him.
He added, “A lot of the candidates compared me to Inspector Gadget and a children’s TV presenter, with all these cheesy lines.
“But I also provided really good business decisions and a bit of entertainment.
“Overall I am happy with how it came across…” Read more & comment »
