The Apprentice [UK] - General Discussion

[TVbitch]

This may be one of the lamest groups of contestants I've seen in a while. So far they've messed up the donuts, the shoes, the airline ads and now the urban garden. They don't seem to take these tasks that seriously. I think they know that Lord Sugar will keep around the people who's business plans he is interested in and that is what it really comes down too.  

[oldCJ]

Glad Jackie is finally gone. Did we ever figure out what was up with her accent? Also who thinks: oh everyone else is wearing a suit, I’ll wear my pyjamas and next week a singlet. 

[Lazlo]

11 hours ago, oldCJ said:

Glad Jackie is finally gone. Did we ever figure out what was up with her accent? Also who thinks: oh everyone else is wearing a suit, I’ll wear my pyjamas and next week a singlet. 

 

Jackie is Canadian but has left in Britain for a lot of years. It does weird things to accent.

 

I know she was a schemer and her dress sense could be odd but honestly I liked her a lot, easily the best of this year's lot. She was sharp and energetic and funny (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not.) I loved Jackie's knowing urging to stick with buying cheap knowing that Tom and especially Kadijah would be to thick and/or offputting to sell anything too expensive.

 

I hope she's back for the finale.

[TVbitch]

Well, in this episode Allen didn't even pretend it wasn't all about the business plans and flat out questioned the three girls about their plans (like he doesn't already know). I though Jackie's kind of fit his wheelhouse. Doesn't he own a sports team? But he wants acorns not oak trees. Um, okay, so you are gonna keep what's her name with the almond milk? Really?

I don't think there are many particularly fun character this season, but Jackie was a really good sport on the "Apprentice, You're Fired" aftershow. I seldom watch You're Fired cuz it can get tedious, but since two of them were fired I tuned in. It was good and really funny. 

[OutOfTheQuestion]

Sugar was 100 percent correct in saying that Tom being pushed into the PM role was a tactical move by the ladies, particularly Jackie.  And it backfired on her, since Tom was somehow too dense to realize that Jackie should've absolutely been one of the on-air presenters.  Who cares if Khadija "wanted a turn" or "showed more passion" in asking for it?  Too many of these contestants don't seem to realize that the best and only "tactic" you should be employing is to just win the task.  Even if it's just delaying the inevitable, you can't get fired if you aren't in the boardroom.  The final dollar amount ended up being narrow enough that Jackie being more energetic and smooth on camera absolutely could've resulted in the few extra sales that the team required.

[Lazlo]

I agree Jackie was a really good sport on the aftershow (and the taxi - "...but first I want to go on a holiday.")  I liked that she got a fairly warm reception from the panel. I'd be surprised if this is the last the general public sees of her.

I think Lord Sugar's bizarre acorn/oak metaphor was that he very much wants to be the senior partner; Jackie has made her bones so to speak so she won't particularly want to run to him for advice. I noticed that Claude, who tends to be pretty fair minded obviously thought Jackie was a better bet than Khadija and Camilla ("she's very manipulative, but she's also very brilliant.")

While Camilla is pretty bland (and pretty and bland), I'm more surprised Khadija is still around given she's awful in almost every respect: stubborn, argumentative (I think she's been on nearly everyone's bad side by now), charmless and honestly rather stupid. Even if she didn't know who  Kim Jong-Un was, surely even the least the aware person would get by Sugar's tone that being compared to him was not a compliment!

[Lazlo]

3 minutes ago, OutOfTheQuestion said:

Sugar was 100 percent correct in saying that Tom being pushed into the PM role was a tactical move by the ladies, particularly Jackie.  And it backfired on her, since Tom was somehow too dense to realize that Jackie should've absolutely been one of the on-air presenters.  Who cares if Khadija "wanted a turn" or "showed more passion" in asking for it?  Too many of these contestants don't seem to realize that the best and only "tactic" you should be employing is to just win the task.  Even if it's just delaying the inevitable, you can't get fired if you aren't in the boardroom.  The final dollar amount ended up being narrow enough that Jackie being more energetic and smooth on camera absolutely could've resulted in the few extra sales that the team required.

As I've said I like Jackie and I think she probably did prefer Tom to the other potential options (remember one of the others was Khadija and the other was the genius behind 'Strawpedo' and 'Jetpop') but yeah there was definite tactical play going on there. Its kind of surreal that Jackie's mistake was actually overestimating Tom. I'm sure she thought she'd be the one presenting and carrying the team. I don't think it crossed her mind (or Camilla's!) that he'd be dumb enough to plumb for literally the worst choice available.

I also agree that given the paltry difference in earnings Jackie probably would have won the task; we've seen her accomplish a lot of sales before and she only needed to do slightly better than Khadija.

On the other team I think Sian has benefited a lot from luck over the past few weeks. She certainly does have skills but her strategy backfired this task both in going for the super high price item and then refusing to drop the price.

[Occasional Hope]

I look forward to seeing Camilla eviscerated in interviews.

Do this bunch learn nothing?  After the fiasco of the sexy airline stewardesses, they still thought it would be a god idea for tackily sexy Santas' elves.

With gift chocs the actual taste is not that important imo.

[TVbitch]

Too bad they didn't go with Cheeky Chocolates. I thought that was a cool, fun name and not as offensive as what they went with. It would have worked great with some boozy flavors or flavors with a surprise to them, like the popping candy. 

[chocolatine]

On 12/6/2018 at 1:04 PM, Occasional Hope said:

I look forward to seeing Camilla eviscerated in interviews.

I think Sabrina and Khadija will be eviscerated as well. I predict Sian and Daniel for F2, with Sian winning.

On 12/6/2018 at 6:13 PM, TVbitch said:

Too bad they didn't go with Cheeky Chocolates. I thought that was a cool, fun name and not as offensive as what they went with.

Shows complete ignorance of the clients they were pitching to. A major brick and mortar retailer was never going to put a semi-pornographic product on their shelves, and the specialty online retailer was never going to place a huge order.

[Occasional Hope]

Quote

I predict Sian and Daniel for F2, with Sian winning.

I don't think Daniel's business plan, as unveiled in the Final 5 programme, will work.  The product sounds a bit dodgy.

[Occasional Hope]

I was right about Daniel.  

The interviews seemed a tiny bit less gruelling than in previous years.

I wonder if Camilla may actually win now.  Her business plan needs a lot of work, but she does have a good product,  not unlike Tom and his nail file winning.  Sian’s business seems to be based on her handmade designs, so can that work if someone else is manufacturing?

Edited December 13, 2018 by Occasional Hope
edited to amend awful autocorrect issues

[chocolatine]

On 12/11/2018 at 4:04 PM, Occasional Hope said:

I don't think Daniel's business plan, as unveiled in the Final 5 programme, will work.  The product sounds a bit dodgy.

Yeah, I made my prediction before I realized Daniel was going to flog a "hangover cure" and be such a blatant liar re: "one million products sold". Since he's a City guy I thought he'd be offering some kind of innovative financial service for an underserved demographic. (I know, I know. I shouldn't expect cutting-edge business models to come out of this show.)

6 hours ago, Occasional Hope said:

I wonder if Camilla may actually win now.  her business plan needs a lot of work, but she does semi have a good product,  it unlike Tom and his nail file winning.

I think the way she started her business is very similar to how Lord Sugar started his, and he always has a soft spot for such candidates. Plus, it shouldn't be hard for him to help her with packaging and getting the product into stores, and if the ingredients and flavors are good, people will keep buying it.

6 hours ago, Occasional Hope said:

Skan’s Business seems to be based on her handmade designs, so can that work if someone else is manufacturing?

Design is different from manufacturing. She'd do the designs and give the manufacturer the patterns; that's how most fashion brands do it. She'd need expensive fabrics and rigorous quality control to justify charging £50 though. If this is her business plan, I can only see her winning if Lord Sugar wants to get into the fashion market now that Sir Philip Green has been disgraced. The bikini business will probably flop, but Sian herself is very professional, polished, and knowledgeable about the industry and social media; she'd be a good person to have on his team.

[Occasional Hope]

Yes, Camilla's business needs a lot of work, but all her problems are fixable - professional marketing, packaging, premises and staff who aren't her unpaid family members can all be added, but the product itself has a lot of potential.

I was thinking with Sian's swimsuits, the price was reasonable (even cheap) for something hand sewn by the designer herself.  If it's mass produced it's automatically a less exclusive product and the price needs to be lower.

[TVbitch]

I was underwhelmed by the interviews. They used to dig into the business plans more, now it seems like they only want to show us the "dramatic" moments of catching them in a lie, tearing up, or having an argument. It's  pretty clear that it's all sorted out before the interviews/boardroom ever happens. 

None of these businesses impressed me, unlike the days of old, such as the female doctor who had the cosmetic filler shops. But perhaps Sugar is mostly looking at the candidates abilities and character.

[Occasional Hope]

I think my analogy with Tom was right this year, just a different candidate and reasoning.  I think LS picked Sian as a person rather than necessarily her business.

I guess Joe has been airbrushed from Apprentice history.

[chocolatine]

Wow, both Sian and Camilla must really dislike Sabrina if neither of them wanted to pick her even though she was in the top five.

As for Sian, I don't think her swimwear is anything unique, or very flattering for that matter. And like 99.9% of swimwear brands, none of her designs seem suitable for women whose cup size is larger than C. Also, had I been one of the candidates, and Sian had picked me for her team and asked me to be photographed or filmed wearing a swimsuit, I would have categorically refused.

A lot of people said that Camilla's 15% nut content would be really expensive, but I wish someone had also mentioned the fat and calorie content since the product is targeted at the health food market. It's more like a dessert/snack than a beverage. 

[oldCJ]

I am not surprised Lord Sugar chose Sian. Camilla seemed like a sexual harrassment lawsuit in the making. She doesn’t see the line between “cheeky” and totally inappropriate. Her website looks like it’s an ad for soft core, not a nutritious vegan beverage! Can you imagine if she was a man how that would go over? 

[Lazlo]

11 hours ago, Occasional Hope said:

I think my analogy with Tom was right this year, just a different candidate and reasoning.  I think LS picked Sian as a person rather than necessarily her business.

I guess Joe has been airbrushed from Apprentice history.

I suppose the difference for me is that Tom had/has an obvious personality and Sian doesn't. While smart and pleasant she seems remarkably dull, and outside of her personal clashes with Sabrina there just doesn't seem to be much of a person there. There are certainly worse things to be than being a bit of a blank and in some ways it might be an advantage in that I'm sure her business is her life but for someone in such a glamorous field she's just oddly absent. 

Camilla on the other hand had to fight against her own instincts to sex things up this time and I think she did pretty well to take on board all the criticism. I was rooting for her but i think she probably didn't need this in the way Sian did - she seems to have more of a life going on.

Great to see some of the old faces back, especially Jackie (still my favourite out of this series and I'm not ashamed to say it), Kayode and Kurran. I did feel sorry for Sabrina; hitting the top five and still picked last must have hurt.

[TVbitch]

9 hours ago, oldCJ said:

Camilla seemed like a sexual harrassment lawsuit in the making. She doesn’t see the line between “cheeky” and totally inappropriate.

Well, she did put the kibosh on "#wipeyournuts" which I was kind of hoping would make it into the Board room just so I could see Lord Sugar's head explode. ...what is wrong with these people?! Who wants associate ball sweat with a beverage?! Jackie came up with that, so I can't blame it on the Brits! 

Kind of a dull season, with a dull winner. Seems like everyone was having a good laugh in the Board room, though. Hopefully they will show some funny out-takes on the post show. 

[RealReality]

Did this show just start back up?

Wish there was an easy and legal way to purchase a season pass in the US.

[TVbitch]

It did! And you can stream it which is not illegal. I will PM you.

[TVbitch]

Not as many stand out characters as previous season but it is early days. I did not see a "meet the contestants" episode, so it's hard to get a handle on them.

The ice pops with the rosemary sprigs... yuck! 

[Occasional Hope]

The big characters so far seem to be Thomas and annoying Lottie. None of the rest have really stood out to me yet.

[Occasional Hope]

Thomas (or should we call him Tommy the Turtle in future) is oddly likeable.  Normally the self styled salesmen are unbearable (and incompetent), but there's something I can't quite resist about him even though he comes across as almost a caricature.

They should have put the woman with a child in the target age range in charge of the product development.  Clearly they were hampered by not knowing what kids that age were like.

The winning unicorn was a cheap looking piece of crap; slime is awful chemical stuff; and that viral video was appallingly amateurish even by the worst standards of the Apprentice.  And yet they won due to Tommy the Turtle not meeting the brief.

[OutOfTheQuestion]

I agree about Thomas, he's likeable despite all the bluster.  I think it's because he comes across as not taking himself seriously, and I've noticed he's also quick to praise others for their good ideas (which could be salesman schtick but it at least comes across as genuine).

[TVbitch]

I like Tommy too, but I would not want to go into business with him. He doesn't listen, and he gets fixated on an idea to the point he won't except any criticism, even from the client. 

I thought it was pretty absurd that there were any orders for either product.  

[RealReality]

I didn't watch the boardroom, but I think that anything that could have been said about Solomon could have been said about the woman who has black hair swept to the side and a seven year old girl.  I think that besides saying the toy was too young she really didn't contribute much at all or try to make any course corrections.  

She didn't even suggest a color gradient.  

[RealReality]

On 10/16/2019 at 4:21 PM, Occasional Hope said:

Thomas (or should we call him Tommy the Turtle in future) is oddly likeable.  Normally the self styled salesmen are unbearable (and incompetent), but there's something I can't quite resist about him even though he comes across as almost a caricature.

They should have put the woman with a child in the target age range in charge of the product development.  Clearly they were hampered by not knowing what kids that age were like.

The winning unicorn was a cheap looking piece of crap; slime is awful chemical stuff; and that viral video was appallingly amateurish even by the worst standards of the Apprentice.  And yet they won due to Tommy the Turtle not meeting the brief.

Tommy reminds me of "blustery country Lord" from a Jane Austen novel.  

I think that no toy retailer would buy that unicorn, they said slime twice in their video and unicorn like 10billion times.  

The toy lady was right, if you were sold slime kingdom and you got a tablespoon of slime and a cheap looking unicorn you'd be upset.  The turtle wasn't much, but at least he wasn't a damn fraud.

[TVbitch]

Lord Sugar is playing favorites with Tommy, but at least I don't have to listen that baby voice of what's-her-name anymore.

The prissy guy on the rollercoster was cracking me up. 

[chocolatine]

I loved the expressions on Scarlett's and Carina's faces when Lottie was going on an on about her musical training. And then Dean just cut her off mid-sentence and declared himself the project manager, didn't think he had that in him. He might be a contender after all. (I used to think that Pamela would win, but after the criticism from Karren and Lord Sugar this week, I'm not so sure.)

I'm a bit sad about Thomas's firing since I really wanted to see how he'd do in the interview round, but I guess there was no way to justify keeping him over someone else when he'd lost eight out of nine tasks.

[TVbitch]

I'm bummed, cuz Thomas would have been hilarious in the interview round. Pretty sure the interviewers would have made mince meat out of him. 

He seems like a nice guy but he just if people constantly have to "manage" you, you are not going to be right for Lord Sugar. 

Lottie is another one, no way is Lord Sugar putting up with her incessant chatter. I don't know how Dean did not strangle her during the remixing. 

[Occasional Hope]

Thomas was definitely a bit out of his depth doing anything but selling (although he was genuinely amazing at that unlike all the previous seasons' self-styled big sellers), and I think he had reached the end of the road, but there was something so nice about him despite the steamroller tendencies - he never seemed to hold a grudge when he lost out on something.  I wonder if AS knew he would get eviscerated in interviews and didn't want to put him through it when he knew he wasn't going to win, and if he was on the winning team next time he'd be stuck?

The only reason I want Lottie to survive another week is so she *can* get eviscerated.  Really, your first lessons at four put you in the music industry?  LOL.

[TVbitch]

Wow, all of those business plans seemed shoddy, and most of the candidates were so inept in their interviews that I can't believe Lord Sugar would even think about investing in any of them. 

[OutOfTheQuestion]

After over two years away, this silly show is back!  As usual, none of the candidates have looked particularly strong through four episodes.

[TVbitch]

This has to be the least talented group ever. If I was Lord Sugar I would not do business with any of these people. Still enjoy watching though. I miss Claude though. 

[Lazlo]

Definitely a shock firing this week. I know Franchesca had a bad week but she's been so strong until now I'd have assumed she'd be let off with a warning. I expected her to make interviews if not win this whole thing.