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THE APPRENTICE EXCLUSIVE: HIT FOR SEX


IF there's one thing I've learnt over the years, it's not to make snap judgments about people. First impressions can be deceptive.

Nevertheless, I had to put some of the hopefuls in this latest series of The Apprentice firmly in their place - they were a bit too mouthy as they jockeyed for position in a bid to bag that six-figure salary.

And I admit that at one stage last night, I was even tempted to fire all the women taking part, because they'd fallen into the trap of using their sexuality... But the first task for them - and the guys - was a return to grassroots selling. Many of the apprentices are supposed to be sophisticated business people. So I like to see if they can dirty their hands.

Although I'm the boss, I never ask anyone to do anything I can't do myself - so that leaves rocket science and designing software.

This task was devised to sort the men from the boys, or the girls from the boys in this case. And, yes, I got very angry with the girls.

They thought they'd done a good job getting stuff for nothing - in the real world that just doesn't happen. Anyone getting a job with me can't go around using their sexuality to achieve their objectives.


Women such as Alexa (below left), Jo, Michelle and the rest must put themselves on a par with men by using their business acumen to do deals.

Having said that, the reason I gave them the win last night was because their selling strategy was much better than the boys.

I mean, fancy having seven guys hanging around on that stall all day.

It's a waste of time - you'd be bankrupt in no time using that strategy.

The girls used a bit of savvy, splitting up and trying different tactics to sell. The guy I eventually fired, Benedict, was actually awfully nice and I was sorry he went so early.

It was clear to me that the rest were ganging up on him. But he could have fought for himself better.

He was the leader and should have asserted his authority by getting the boys more organised.

Apart from that, it was hard to judge individual performance - on the first task you don't have enough time to get to know the people that well.

NEXT week, things get tougher and a few of the apprentices start cracking under the pressure.

But it's hard to sympathise with them. They had the benefit of seeing the last series, so they knew what they were letting themselves in for.

Characters will start to emerge and there's even some back-stabbing - unmissable stuff.

Their task will be to produce a calendar to go on sale in the high street, with the profits going to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Will the boys manage to get their act together this time or will the girls come up trumps again? Mirror

THE APPRENTICE MOVERS & SHAKERS
By Polly Hudson

PAUL

Can "knock socks off everyone". Yeah, but the women are wearing tights...

KAREN

Calm under pressure - even when faced with Sir Alan's steely gaze. One to watch.

SYED

Loved him repeatedly insisting the boys be The A Team... Cue stunned silence.



NARGIS

Held down two jobs while pregnant and studying pharmacy. Tough stuff.

RUTH

"I'm going to get the job. End of." Admirable self-belief or just arrogant?

ALEXA

Offered man some "juicy melons" without irony. Could be brilliant or awful.

SHARON

Her strategy is to present herself as "the boring one". It's a success so far.

ANSELL

Reckons he's an over-achiever. The Sugar-nator will cut him down to size.

TUAN

A self-confessed "computer nerd" who knows Latin. Handy.

MANI

He wasn't surprised to be selected and "can't lose". So modest, too.

SAMUEL

Diplomatic during fruit price negotiate-gate - then said he's a poor salesman. Doh.

MICHELLE

Suggested "Saffron" as team name. Winked at a trader in Benny Hill style. Bah.

JO

Cried in the boardroom. That won't impress Alan. Beyond annoying.

BENEDICT - SACKED

Said he was proud he didn't backstab. He won't make that mistake again.

Mirror

UPI
Feb. 24, 2006 at 8:55PM

Reality TV host Donald Trump has added a couple of new elements to the upcoming season of "The Apprentice" -- his children.

Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump will replace George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher as their father's advisers when the new season of "The Apprentice" kicks off Monday night, the New York Daily News reported Friday.
The siblings both work for their father's empire, the newspaper noted.
Ivanka, 24, told the Daily News viewers will see a different side to her father this season.
"You can see his paternal side on the show," she said. "It comes through. He's not this huggable type guy, but he's very loving."

Sunday, February 26, 2006
SUN

APPRENTICE big-shot Syed Ahmed was a “very ordinary” recruitment consultant who lived in a dream world, ex-workmates reckon.

Syed calls himself an “entrepreneur” on the BBC2 show’s website — and boasts that Sir Alan Sugar’s top prize of a £100,000-a-year job would not be enough for him.

He also claims he has spent the past two years building up a company which turns over £1.6million.

But just a year ago Syed, 31, was a humble consultant at a small firm earning a basic wage of £25,000.

He lives in a modest £200,000 house in Essex and until recently motored around in a K-reg BMW 3-series, worth £2,000. One of his former workmates at London-based Interquest said: “We couldn’t stop laughing when we saw Syed on The Apprentice.

“He made out like he has been at the top of his game for years. But just a year ago he was a very ordinary recruitment consultant.

“He’s not one of the top business minds in Britain — he is living in a dream world.”

Syed also claims to have been a PR and catering manager for celeb restaurant Titanic — but he was actually head waiter, then assistant manager.

And although he claims to have been running his IT company for two years, records show he was made a director just over a year ago.

Syed — among 13 remaining hopefuls trying to impress Sir Alan declined to comment.

THE APPRENTICE


THE boys were definitely top dog this week on The Apprentice. They did a cracking job of their task to create something and sell it to professional trade buyers.

Cleverly choosing children as the theme for their calendar to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, they produced a fun product that was both practical and apt for the charity.

As for the girls... Well, I'm not sure which planet they were on. I have no idea why they chose cats and, clearly, neither did the buyers.

The trendy, minimalist design was flawed. With no space to write important dates on, it was useless. The girls also forgot to promote Great Ormond Street. After flipping the front cover, you forgot what the calendar was in aid of.

Nargis's presentation to the buyers was terrible. I was shocked by her attitude. She spoke to them as if they were her servants and it was a done deal - "you will give me an order" type of stuff. Priceless.

I couldn't believe the arrogant way she alienated the buyers. She clearly had no idea that buyers for the big chains and stores should be shown some respect. They get hundreds of people trying to sell them stuff every day. You have to convince them they need to buy your product, that it will fly off the shelves.


To be fair though, even Mani went off the rails in his presentation and focused too heavily on the charity aspect. What the buyers needed to be told was that there is a good chance this calendar will sell over and above all others because it's for charity.

There had to be a synergy with the hospital, and that's why the buyer for the biggest chain of calendar shops in the UK placed the largest order with the boys.

Nargis had to go. She didn't have a clue. She blamed Karen for stabbing her in the back, and accused her of being a liar - it's not wise to do that to a lawyer! I detected that Nargis brought Jo to the boardroom in the hope that I would get rid of her, leaving Nargis safe. I didn't like that - and I wasn't going to let her get away with it.

Jo was right about the cat thing being a bad idea, and she was right to argue for a more colourful calendar aimed at kids. But the girls paid the price and lost a team member because they stupidly ignored her.

The task next week is one of my favourites. I send the apprentices out on the street with a list of things to buy. They need to get back on time having spent the least amount.

Most of the girls learned a valuable lesson in the first week about using their sexuality.

They should know by now that they need to earn my respect by going about business in a professional manner. But one of them still doesn't seem to get the message. It's all very exciting and there's some last-minute drama for one of the teams. Mirror

THE APPRENTICE: MOVERS & SHAKERS
By Polly Hudson

KAREN

Totally diplomatic while dealing with annoying Jo âundefined" no mean feat. Hair's in great condition, too.

MANI

Said "f***ing" and "cr*p"! Mind you, both aimed at Syed âundefined" so completely understandable.

RUTH

Said "we're quite organised âundefined" which is surprising". Never admit your weaknesses, you fool!



ANSELL

Needs to push himself more firmly to the centre stage. Really liking his trendy glasses though.

SAMUEL

Spent longer deciding how to come up with ideas than having any. Then cried. Boo.

SYED

At the photoshoot he managed to immediately make a baby cry. Nuff said.

TUAN

Ruthless control freak who cries like a little girl when he doesn't u get his own way. There V. there, precious.

PAUL

So motivated and opinionated, it's annoying. And he's a totally ungracious winner, too.

ALEXA

After a dodgy start, she failed to make an impression this week either. Could do better.

MICHELLE

Pronounced a photo of a cat balanced on J a ball "absolutely stunning". No further comment needed.

SHARON

Sharon? There's one called Sharon, is there? Where? Is she invisible and mute or something?

JO

Her ex-husband says she's like Marmite. What, sticky, smelly and leaves a bad taste in your mouth?

SACKED: NARGIS

Literally the worst presentation ever presented in I the history of presenting. Bye then.

Mirror

Sir Alan and JoClaws come out on The Apprentice
Apprentice loser Nargis “Six Million Cats” Ara has blasted Sir Alan “Sweet Enough Already” Sugar for firing her, claiming: “He made the wrong decision.” The feisty pharmacist got the chop from the BBC show after her team lost a charity calendar task. But she insisted that putting kittens, rather than babies, on a children’s hospital calendar was the right move. “I think the design is fantastic,” she said. “It’s not my fault we didn’t win.”

But Sir Al hit back at the sacked project manager, declaring: “Nargis’ presentation to the buyers was terrible. I was shocked by her attitude. She spoke to them as if they were her servants and it was a done deal – ‘you will give me an order’ type of stuff. Priceless. Nargis had to go. She didn’t have a clue.”

The Amstrad curmudgeon praised outspoken HR manager Jo Cameron (whose constant “Omigod!'s” make her look like Chantelle after six cans of Coke) for trying to convince her teammates they were making a hideous mistake. “Jo was right about the cat thing being a bad idea, and she was right to argue for a more colourful calendar aimed at kids,” said Sir Alan. “But the girls paid the price and lost a team member because they stupidly ignored her.”

Meanwhile, it seems that David Brent-a-like Syed Ahmed has more bed than boardroom on his mind. IT manager Ben Stanberry, who was the first contestant to be booted out, has revealed that Syed fancies his chances with some of his sexy female rivals.

"He's an utter flirt," reveals Ben. "He was always taking his top off and flexing his muscles – not just for the cameras but for the girls." Syed, as you may recall, has already declared: "I don't have any weaknesses" – apart, that is, from being the sort of gibbering idiot who says: "I don't have any weaknesses.” wandoo

THE APPRENTICE PICK OF THE DAY BBC2, 9PM

WELL done, Sir Alan, for keeping Mad Jo on for entertainment value.

She somehow survived last week's boardroom blitz - but how will she fare tonight after volunteering for the poisoned chalice of Project Manager?

There's much rolling of eyes from the other girls, but they grit their teeth and let her get on with it - mindful, no doubt, that both team leaders in the previous weeks have been fired.

This week, they're given the Shopping List task and both teams have to purchase the same 10 items including - lobsters, a dinner jacket and a car tyre - at the lowest prices.

It should be simple, and this task has the added bonus of being the most fun to play at home, in a Price Is Right kind of way.

So watch in amazement as the supposedly street-wise boys head to a hideously expensive fabric store in the West End to haggle fruitlessly over a length of silk. Have they not heard of John Lewis's slogan - never knowingly undersold?

Meanwhile the girls descend predictably into a state of mutiny. The only thing they're getting wholesale this week is an ear-bashing from Jo.
Mirror

Can't believe that Karen got booted out!

Thought Jo was definitely going to go, but firing the project manager again was a bit obvious i guess.

I definitely thought that Jo should go. I quite liked Karen.

Sir Alan would never hire someone like Jo and he is just doing what all the reality tv shows do.......keep the fool, whinge, arrogant, crazy contestant in to entertain the viewer who only watches reality tv to see how far the fool, whinge, arrogant, crazy contestant is allowed to go before the powers that be get rid of them. No harm in that I suppose, but when you see a contestant with something to offer [as in Karen's case last night] get evicted it makes us viewers who want to see a proper compitition take place really

Saira Says


Why, oh, Why?
Sir Alan can't be serious! Why did he fire Karen? How could he say Jo was good? Where's the evidence? What I saw was Jo getting on everyone's nerves by being a control freak and pushing the blame onto her team.

The body language of her team said it all: rolling eyes, huffs and puffs, raised voices, slamming down of phones, swearing - it was tension from the word go! It was clear that Jo was out of control as a leader, and passing responsibility for the tyre to the other team mates demonstrated that she was in crisis.

The negotiating task was one of my favourites last year. It's simple to organise: locate the items, buy the most expensive first and, ideally, chose an area where all the 10 items are available, but perhaps not in a pricey area like central London. Jo, as PM, didn't use any business acumen or common sense.

I think it was harsh to fire Karen. She made some school boy errors, i.e. never shake hands on a deal until you've seen what you are paying for; but her biggest mistake was not having enough spirit or self-belief in the boardroom.

Karen could have gathered enormous amounts of evidence to undermine Jo. I got the impression that Karen was too complacent in the boardroom and this proved to be her weakness.

Well done to Alexa for sticking up for herself in the boardroom. Sir Alan was clearly impressed with her and he liked the fact that she fought hard when it really mattered.
BBC

Last week's presentation by Nargis was pure class! An entire episode of The Office could be based on that. "I haven't finished yet. OK, I've finished." Surely one of the most entertaining moments on TV this year.

This week I was surprised by Karen's firing. In AMS's own words, "This is not a game show. There's no panel of judges, no number to text...". So why keep the loud-mouth hypermaniac unless it's purely for entertainment value? Karen should've learnt a valuable lesson in not flirting to close a deal - that just results in short-term gain, and you probably won't find that in any business book (if you need to read one, that is). Syed was pure genius with his "f**k the planning, let's cut to the chase type" approach.

But this is entertainment, so I'm glad Jo is still there. Shame he couldn't have kept Nargis for the same reason, lol. Did you know there are six million cat owners in the country...?

Saturday, March 11, 2006
SUN
By SARA NATHAN

A WOMAN told “You’re fired!” on hit show The Apprentice has had her home destroyed by a blaze.

Nargis Ara, 38, has lost all her possessions too — because she had forgotten to renew the contents insurance for her flat.

It went up after fire broke out in the student flat below, in Haringey, North London. Her 15-year-old son narrowly avoided being trapped.

A source said: “Nargis is devastated but all she can think is that at least her son is alive.

“She was in tears because she lost all her possessions in the fire. The worst thing is she forgot to renew her home insurance.”

Nargis was the second person axed by Sir Alan Sugar on the BBC2 show.

if it was the flat belows fault she should be able to sue their insurance for compensation