Let’s start off by saying that I’m a big fan of The Apprentice, I’ve been watching it for years and I think the combination of ‘Reality TV’ and serious business is really good, not to mention how good the production of it is. But as I’ve been watching it more and more, it annoys my sense of reasoning and logic and it’s not the candidates.
“S’ralan,” “Lord Sugar” or as he’s known in his home town, “Del,” does a pretty good job of whittling down some of the most egotistical people that the BBC can find down to one numskull just capable of avoiding a taxi home but the path he takes is never quite satisfactory. It seems that whatever the candidates do, there’s something wrong with it and I’m not exactly sure what you’re meant to do anymore.
Liz - the only candidate fired for being too good for The Apprentice
Take the first episode of the series as an example. Gavin was busy in the van serving soup and cutting bread and got pretty badly hammered by Our Lord And Master for not having a more active role in the task. So much so that he nearly got fired in week one but fortunately there was a wally in charge of the team more deserving of the crown of ‘most public and humiliating firing.’ However, if Gavin had instead been out on the street selling stuff and there had been no-one in the van, surely Als would have rolled out another of his childhood stories, citing that “y’know, if my mate Charlie hadn’t been nicking the ariels of people’s roofs, I’da had nuffin’ to sell!” (N.B. I’m not suggesting that Lord Sugar started his business through theft, this is just a joke. I know you’re reading this, Suggs.)
So what is a candidate to do?
