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The Apprentice 2006 http://www.bbfans.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=24633	Page 1 of 7

Author:	Madeline [ 08 Feb 06, 0:29 ]
Post subject:	The Apprentice 2006
TV's Apprentice reveals new team BBC Two is hoping this series will replicate the success of the first A former shop assistant, a lawyer and an ex-footballer are among the hopefuls competing in the second series of BBC Two programme The Apprentice. More than 10,000 people applied for the chance to win a £100,000-a year-job with business tycoon Alan Sugar. The first series was a surprise hit, watched by an average of £2.8m viewers a week. Last year's winner, Tim Campbell, is now working at Sugar's firm, Amstrad. The Apprentice begins on 22 February. Brutal At the end of each of the 12 episodes, Sir Alan dismisses one candidate with the words: "You're fired." Among the contestants are Michelle Dewberry, 26, a former checkout girl who is now a telecoms consultant. The programme will also feature Ansell Henry, 34, who used to play for Millwall FC, and management consultant Alexa Tilley, 28, the cousin of Little Britain star Matt Lucas. The Apprentice is based on Donald Trump's successful US show of the same name. BBC

Author:	Madeline [ 08 Feb 06, 8:59 ]
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The contestants ANSELL HENRY: 34, sales manager and former Millwall footballer. BEN STANBERRY: 33, cancer survivor IT consultant. PAUL TULIP: 26, funny and charming head hunter. SAMUEL JUDAH: 35, a martial arts expert and product developer. TUAN LEE: 27, a Vietnamese refugee and financial adviser. MANI SANDLER: 39, runs speed dating business. SYED AHMED: 31, an argumentative entrepreneur ALEXA TILLEY: 28, a cousin of Matt Lucas and a management consultant. RUTH BADGER: 27, straight-talking sales boss. SHARON MCALLISTER: 30, mum- of-one lecturer. MICHELLE DEWBERRY: 26, telecoms consultant. JO CAMERON: 35, single mum is ex- Asda shelf stacker and HR boss. NARGIS AGA, 38, single mum Phd student. KAREN BREMNER: 34, a mum-of-one lawyer.

Author:	Madeline [ 08 Feb 06, 10:06 ]
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YOU'RE HIRED! TOUGH tycoon Sir Alan Sugar poses with the 14 hopefuls vying for a job on the new series of his show The Apprentice. The seven men and seven women include the cousin of Little Britain comic Matt Lucas, an ex-soccer star and a former store checkout girl. They will spend 12 weeks carrying out gruelling business tasks, with the eventual winner told: "You're hired!" - landing a £100,000 position at Sir Alan's Amstrad firm. But the millionaire mogul, 58 - who claims to be "the most belligerent person you'll ever come across" - has warned the wannabes they face a tough time. He told them: "You're not here to enhance some form of media career, so if any of you gentlemen are thinking of prancing around in your Calvin Kleins, you can forget about it. "And ladies, flashing your hair back is not going to get you anywhere." There are tears in the first episode when they sell fruit and veg in a market, with the women accused of exploiting their feminine wiles to get free stock. The second series of the BBC2 show starts on February 22 and will see them share a mansion in Hampstead, North-West London. Each week the tycoon will tell one luckless contestant: "You're fired!" Last year's winner, Tim Campbell, 27, now works for Amstrad's health and beauty division. Mirror

Author:	Madeline [ 08 Feb 06, 10:18 ]
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Rude and pushy return to make Sugar scowl He doesn't like liars, he doesn't like cheats, he doesn't like bullshitters, he doesn't like schmoozers, he doesn't like arse lickers. Yet Sir Alan Sugar is going to meet them all again. BBC2 yesterday announced the lineup for a second series of what was one of the channel's biggest hits last year, the reality show The Apprentice. Based on the US series of the same name, the UK version sees Sir Alan put 14 would-be business leaders through the entrepreneurial mill. Last year's tasks included designing and marketing toys and selling flowers before they were whittled down, with Sir Alan declaring "You're fired" to the weakest performer. This year's contestants promise to be as driven, rude, self-opinionated and unpleasant as last year. They include a former Asda shelf stacker, Jo Cameron, 35, who admits: "I'm hard work, I'm high energy. Being with me all day will wear you out." Another, a sales manager, Ruth Badger, 27, warns: "There are people in the show who have never done a day's work in their life and if they cross me they'll pay the price." Ben Stanberry, 33, an IT consultant who has beaten cancer, announces: "How tough am I? Very tough." He also confesses to disliking Sir Alan. Mani Sandler, 39, a management consultant, says people will be "quite surprised at how pushy and aggressive I can get". But it is left to Tuan Le, 27, a financial adviser from Weston-super-Mare to offer the bluntest assessment of himself: "I'm a short, bald Vietnamese guy that drives a Ferrari and who has lived in a small seaside town all of my life." Contestants from the first series have enjoyed varying degrees of success. Paul Torrisi, the mouthy one, sold his company for £4m. James Max (the posh one) and runner-up Saira Khan (the loud one), have followed media careers. And the nice one, the winner, Tim Campbell, has enjoyed a year working for Sir Alan. More than 10,000 people applied to take part in the second series, which begins on February 22. mediaguardian

Author:	JimD [ 08 Feb 06, 20:49 ]
Post subject:	The Return Of The Apprentice
If hecklerspray were to say 'reality TV', what would you think? Perhaps your mind would immediately vomit forth images of Celebrity Big Brother 'winner' Chantelle Houghton - a woman so fascinatingly stupid that the only thing she'd need to take into a nuclear bunker for entertainment would be a colouring book. Or maybe you'd conjure all sorts of Gordon Ramsay-shaped thoughts - picturing him storming around in his overpriced kitchen, face crumpled into a scowl beneath his silly 1980s-lesbian haircut. Or you may find yourself thinking about whoever won I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here this year. We can't remember who that was, and we're frankly not too sure that whoever it was can either. Yet occasionally something good drips through. Like the upcoming second series of Alan Sugar's The Apprentice. Brilliantly expanded on the tracks laid down by embarrassment-fest Dragons Den - we get to humiliate the participants over twelve weeks rather than three minutes! - the British version of The Apprentice is superior to its American counterpart for a number of reasons... Number one - Alan Sugar (Stuff) actually seems like a reasonable bloke. Unlike Donald Trump, who probably just stares at whoever he's arguing with and imagines the school bully there instead, all the while thinking "ha, ha, school bully, who's laughing now, you Wal-Mart-working mouthbreathing shithead?" Probably. Number two - Unlike the po-faced American contestants - who pull all sorts of baffling 'powerful' faces over the opening credits - the British selection all faithfully stick to their country's tradition by... well... being a little bit crap. Number three - hecklerspray lives in England, and therefore only gets to see the British version anyway. Unless we stay up way past our bedtime, and mummy generally doesn't allow that. But why - why, you frenziedly scream - are we telling you all this? Because, dear friends, details have just been released concerning the nature of this years contestants. And what an oddball bunch of Sugar-pleasing lackeys they seem: The seven men and seven women include Ansell Henry, 34, a former Millwall FC player. Meanwhile, fellow series two contestant Michelle Dewberry, 26, left school at 16 and was a check-out girl before working her way up to become a telecoms consultant. IT consultant Ben Stanberry, 33, has battled cancer, but refuses to feel sorry for himself. He has also confessed to disliking Sir Alan. Alexa Tilley, 28, already has a TV star in the family - the management consultant is the cousin of Little Britain's Matt Lucas. The other contestants include a lawyer, a Ferrari-driving Vietnamese refugee, a former holiday rep and a one-time restaurant manager for Marco Pierre White. Every candidate has displayed a steely determination to succeed. With more than one of the go-getters describing themselves as "highly opinionated" - i.e. a **** - hecklerspray suggests that you cancel all social engagements and mark the 22 Feb broadcast date firmly in your diaries. Not that we have to bother doing that, of course. Luckily, we never venture out of the house anyway! Hecklerspray

Author:	JimD [ 19 Feb 06, 17:40 ]
Post subject:	Tim in the Firing Line
The Apprentice: Tim in the Firing Line 8:00pm - 8:30pm BBC2 London & South East This is an appetiser for the eagerly awaited second series of The Apprentice, which starts on Wednesday. It's a catch-up with last year's winner, Tim Campbell, who beat 13 other wannabes to win the job working for Sir Alan Sugar for a year. Watching this, you wonder if the second prize was two years working for Sugar. His grumpy management style mostly consists of whining "It's not good enough" a lot. (OK, it's probably a bit more than that or he wouldn't be worth £700 million.) But the qualities that helped Tim win - quiet graft, rock-like self-belief and sheer niceness - carry him through. RadioTimes

Author:	Madeline [ 19 Feb 06, 19:53 ]
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I am so looking forward to this years Apprentice. If the trailer for the show is anything to go by we are in for a treat.

Author:	GG [ 20 Feb 06, 2:36 ]
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I loved this last year and I'm hoping that it's going to be as good this year!

Author:	JimD [ 20 Feb 06, 14:47 ]
Post subject:	Toiling with the young apprentice
February 20, 2006 How obsessed do you think you already are with the forthcoming series of The Apprentice (which starts on Wednesday)? Pretty damn obsessed, I bet. I know I am. I’ve read all the advance articles, mucked around on the BBC website, read Sir Alan Sugar’s book (and actually seen the first new episode, got a bit over-excited and had a small argument with Sir Alan at the press conference, but that’s not really a quotidian experience). However obsessed I might be with The Apprentice, though, I could never be obsessed enough to have found The Apprentice: Tim in the Firing Line (Sunday, BBC Two) in any way interesting. Now that’s a fairly startling turn of events. One thing reality TV shows never do is show you how the contestants fare after the reality TV show finishes — despite it being the bit all viewers are insane with curiosity to see. Nasty Nick after he left Big Brother, Paul Danan after Celebrity Love Island, George Galloway after Celebrity Big Brother — the minutes, hours and days they spend coping with the after-effects of their TV exposure are all lost. So in reality TV terms, to have given the winner of last year’s Apprentice, Tim, a follow-up show is like the first footage of the afterlife. Rest of the article The Times

Author:	Madeline [ 22 Feb 06, 10:05 ]
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FLIRTY TRICKS SIR Alan Sugar's stern warning to women that using sex to do business is "a very short term strategy" has become the subject of much heated debate. And how pointless it all is. On the first episode of The Apprentice seven women faced with the task of selling fruit did brilliantly by using their feminine charms and flirting outrageously with wholesalers. It worked, so what more does the man want? Perhaps Sir Alan should concentrate on his other vexing problem, the lacklustre sales of his electronic beauty machine called the Integra. Aimed at women, it's designed and marketed by men but, frankly, it's not looking remotely sexy. Honestly Sir Alan, a bit of short term strategy from your blokes might do the Integra business the world of good. We woman aren't averse to the spot of flirtation ... and some us wouldn't say no to the odd physical favour either. Mirror Also Apprentices use their feminine charms

Author:	JimD [ 22 Feb 06, 19:32 ]
Post subject:	Tim: Don't smarm Sugar!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006 By JONATHAN WEINBERG DON'T be cocky, that's the advice from Apprentice winner Tim Campbell to this year's crop of wannabe businessmen and women. With the new series of the hit BBC2 reality show starting tonight, the 27-year-old from East London says the 14 new contestants should treat boss Sir Alan Sugar with respect - because he'll soon see through their lies. Now earning a six-figure salary running a health offshoot of Sir Alan's multi-million pound Amstrad firm, Tim said: “The best tack with Sir Alan is take a direct, but respectful route. “Do not waffle or try to come up with excuses as he has an innate sense of when someone is talking rubbish. “Just get to the point as quickly as possible. Talk about what you did and were responsible for but don't be too cocky!” On Sunday viewers were treated to a special show with highlights of Tim’s first year in charge of selling the Integra Face Care System. And he believes that winning the show has turned his life around - and hopes it will do the same for whoever comes out on top in the next few months. The former London Underground manager added: “The opportunity that these guys are competing for is very unique and extremely rewarding. “This last year of my life has been amazing and I have learnt so much from Sir Alan who has been my manager as well as my mentor. “I owe him a lot but have given him a lot with the effort I have put into my company." Full story the SUN

Author:	Madeline [ 22 Feb 06, 22:11 ]
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You can call me Sir Al He's not after fame and doesn't need the money, but the ferocious taskmaster is back for a new series of The Apprentice anyhow. Michael Holden braves the boss Reality TV breeds unlikely heroes, but few quite so unlikely as Sir Alan Sugar. Over 12 weeks, last year's show transformed our perception of him from moody 1980s billionaire to icon of contemporary cool. Granted, it was fun to see the contestants humiliate themselves and betray each other in the name of business, but the real draw was watching Sir Alan blowtorch their aspirations with such stupendously short-tempered finesse. "You're an awkward character," he would snap, "you're fired!" While the show heaved reality TV back into the realms of respectability it turned its host into a hero. The inevitability of his judgement bestrode each programme like a welcome shadow. He may as well have been carrying a scythe. In series two, he appears to have refined his technique further. The now legendary "I don't like liars, I don't like bullshitters ..." opening sequence has been replaced with a full-blown tirade in which he yells, "You're not here to piss my money up against the bloody wall!" and, decisively, "Shut it!" He was compelling anyway; now he's turning into John Thaw in The Sweeney. Which is great for the show, if slightly worrying when you come to meet him. Such fears, it turns out, are unjustified, and the launch of the new series finds the no-nonsense knight leaning back in an office chair in what - by his standards - is an expansive mood. Given that the programme lays waste to those he finds inadequate who, one wonders, does he actually admire? "There's a lot really," he answers in his carefully worded way. "Rupert Murdoch I've got a lot of respect for. The late Lord Weinstock [philanthropist founder of GEC] was a great role model. Richard Branson you have to admire in his way of going about business, which is completely different to the way I do things. Philip Green is another example of someone who started a bit later in life but has reached his ultimate goal." Could any of these captains of industry have made it through The Apprentice boardroom? "One can't say really. I don't know whether Bill Gates would have come up through the programme because basically he's a technologist. The show's about business acumen and that was perhaps the last thing on his mind when he founded his company. But the others that I mentioned, yeah, they would have flown through it with flying colours, I suppose." It should come as no surprise to students of the show that his recipe for success is as straightforward as his demeanour. "My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it." In the last series Sir Alan appeared at his most human sat at home watching his charges sell for their lives on QVC. He even laughed at one point. Is it fair to assume he enjoys watching television? "I watch a tremendous amount of TV, yeah I do. I tend to watch dramas and things like that. There's a very good series that I've been following recently, Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's a fantastic programme! I've seen the whole five series. With that character, what's on his lung is on his tongue. He sometimes blurts out things which he shouldn't really say, which, you know, can happen." Indeed it can. Prior to the launch of the last series he referred to its producers as "a bunch of creative arseholes". Everything all right this time around? "I'm not an actor, right?" he says, ironically sounding like a slightly riled Michael Caine. "There were occasions in the first series where the producers would say, can you say this and do that, and it never worked. What's good about this is what you see is actually me, and what you see from the apprentices is them - none of it is acting." But people must ask him for his autograph? "Well, there's a bit of that," he concurs. "I wouldn't say it's happening all the time. People take me too literally from the first series, that I don't like bullshitters and arse-lickers. That does thin it out a bit. They don't want to be seen as schmoozing, so that worked quite positively." With which he allows himself a smile, as though reflecting on an unexpected dividend from a job well done. So what could possibly go wrong for the 14 hopeful new apprentices lined up to impress Sir Alan? 1 Ansell Henry If early signs are anything to go by south London lad Ansell looks like a natural born trader but whether the former Millwall footballer can make it into extra time remains to be seen. 2 Paul Tulip Paul makes a big impression in the first show by selling a single apple to a member of the public for £5. The young Yorkshireman is also blessed with a David Brent-style faith in his own hilarity. 3 Benedict Stanberry Well-spoken Ben sees himself as thickskinned and optimistic. He'll need plenty of both qualities if his antipathy toward Sir Alan is to prove part of a long-term survival plan. 4 Mani Sandler On first inspection Mani appears to be a modest character but beneath this quiet exterior lurk aggressive and confident business instincts, he reckons. Could try anything to ensure his own survival. 5 Samuel Judah Martial arts fan Samuel aims to bring all the discipline of the dojo to the Apprentice arena. For Sam, the show is all about business, not entertainment - which means the reverse will probably be true. 6 Tuan Le First impressions of the self-confessed "nerd" suggest a shrewd operator with an eye for the long game. But will Sir Alan give the super geek the opportunity to shine? 7 Syed Ahmed Outspoken, opinionated and clinically confident, Syed looks a dead cert to be this series' pantomime villain. A perfect anti-hero for the viewers, the question is how long can his colleagues bear to put him with him? 8 Ruth Badger AKA "Badge", Ruth is a walking hand grenade of self-made savvy and business common sense. If anyone with letters after their name gets in her way then expect her to pull the pin, whatever the consequences. 9 Alexa Tilley A Cambridge graduate and a longdistance runner, Alexa's blend of education and endurance ought to make her a favourite to last the distance but how far will this thoroughbred go to fight for survival? 10 Sharon Mcallister Sharon says she's set herself off to be "the boring one" but if episode one is anything to go by then "the slightly devious, outspoken one" might be a better assessment. 11 Jo Cameron Quickly shaping up to be the series wild card, Jo appears not only to wear her heart but her brain on her sleeve and delivers an unfiltered torrent of opinion and emotion at all times. Annoying laugh may prove a handicap. 12 Nargis Arga Echoing series one finalist Saira, Nargis is totally convinced of her ability to communicate with absolutely anyone. But will Sir Alan and the Apprentices listen to what she has to say? 13 Michelle Dewberry Roaring into episode one on a scooter, blonde telecoms consultant Michelle brings some much-needed glamour to proceedings. More of a visual than a verbal presence at the outset, full potential still unseen. 14 Karen Bremner The suave Scottish lawyer looks and acts like she might have stepped straight out of a legal drama. But this is reality, and she'll need to be able work without a script if she's going to survive? guardian

Author:	tastyfish [ 23 Feb 06, 2:08 ]
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I've just finished watching the first episode and I think it's already better than the first series! Not sure I like the boys' company name, Invicta reminds me of a local radio station somewhere. Personally I would've ditched the usual w*nky names that mean ambition, tough, vision, etc, and gone for something like Jelly, or Custard, or Treacle. I can't understand why Sir AMS forced the girls to justify their profit margin. It was obvious that even if they had spent the full £500 without resorting to their stretched sexual charms, they were still yards ahead of the boys. Maths obviously not his strong point. And how he could claim they were selling sub-standard products to the public - he's been flogging crappy Amstrad and Viglen products for years. They're total crap! I disagree with the eventual firing, that other guy (Samuel?) should've gone. I mean, fancy admitting that everyone was better at sales, and not even having the balls to get up and have a go. He should've gone, and I'd have been marking his cards, not those of the A team bloke.

Author:	Madeline [ 23 Feb 06, 14:48 ]
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Millions watch Apprentice return Sir Alan Sugar has become known for his 'You're fired' catchphrase More than 3.6m people tuned in to watch the first episode of the new series of The Apprentice on BBC Two. Businessman Sir Alan Sugar has returned to decide the fate of 14 people vying to win a £100,000 job contract at one of his companies. The first episode was broadcast on Wednesday night, pipping ITV1's film American Pie II in the ratings by 200,000 viewers. A BBC spokeswoman said: "We are delighted with the success of The Apprentice, which has picked up where the last series left off in terms of ratings." BBC

Author:	trolleydolley [ 23 Feb 06, 15:25 ]
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T'was a great programme last night, I really enjoyed it. you're right though tastyfish - i thought the girls did really well getting all that free fruit, Sir A should have been applauding their enterprise, surely that's what he would have done in their situation? Syed should have gone. But as the article above says, good as a panto villain for a bit. I liked Samuel - not everyone should be taking the lead all the time and he showed initiative in being the 'backup person' - that's what I would have done I think. I thought they laid into Ben a bit, I thought he was OK but obviously got the task completely wrong and major personality clash with Syed. Ben was on BBC Breakfast this morning - announcing that he's standing as a Tory candidate in the local elections! Jo is driving me nuts already - I'm not sure I can cope with her for 10 weeks or however many weeks it is. But great show and looking forward to seeing who wins.

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