The Apprentice The candidates are looking weary. It’s another early-morning call: the cars are arriving to ferry the remaining five to their last task before the final. To leave the process now, before they’ve had the chance to pitch their business plan, will be gut-wrenching. But you get the feeling Baron Sugar of Clapton never shied away from wrenching anything, least of all the dreams of his wannabe business partners.
So he sets them one of those slightly up-in-the-air tasks where at the end of the project, he can decide who has won because it’s unmeasurable: create a luxury product range, complete with brand identity, then pitch it. There’s no scampering element, no scramble against the clock to land sales, just pure brainwork.
It’s a clash of a men’s grooming line against posh confectionery, minimalism versus “drunken jellies”, and both look very plausible. But someone has to go.
About this programme
11/12. Adam, Jade, Nick, Ricky and Tom are tasked to come up with luxury retail items at affordable prices - and while one team comes up with a range of male grooming products, the rival group chooses sweets, only to get carried away tasting chocolate rather than learning anything about the confectionery business. Not everyone pulls their weight during the marketing, and when they unveil their products, tricky questions from the industry experts don't help. However, the real test is in the boardroom, as one team wins through to the final, and the losers battle for the last chance to become Alan Sugar's business partner.
Radiotimes