The Apprentice.

I havn’t bothered to watch this series beyond the first 2 episodes, previous series have been pathetic as well, by all accounts contestants have proven very poor quality.

Male or female to succeed in business you have to be as hard as nails, there is no room for emotion, these “poor girls” are not not even close to being good enough.

Totally appalling set of contestants, I would have liked to sack them all after the first couple of episodes. Most of them seemed completely vacuous and personally I wouldn't have employed any of them except maybe the boxer. Presentation skills zero and apparently the same score for their business plans. Still they must have been chosen for their TV 'appeal' and I have watched the whole series...

The programme is evidently highly edited to make all the candidates look as daft as possible. But they all seemed to me to be strong, charismatic young men and women who were trying hard in often impossible circumstances. And all seemed thoroughly nice people into the bargain, engaging with each other when off task and often being encouraging and supportive. They are none of them perfect, but who is? I do wish people wouldn't dismiss them as 'numpties' when they are so clearly nothing of the sort. They are simply ambitious young people who try hard and sometimes lack knowledge and get it wrong. Did we know everything at their age? Give them a break. I applaud them for submitting themselves to the process and putting themselves at the mercy of ghastly people like Karren (sorry, Baroness) Brady. I wish all of them well in their future plans.

The candidates are deliberately chosen for their ridiculously elevated egos and then 'played' for entertainment with careful editing. Karren Brady plays along with all this but does come across as patronising and unpleasant. I don't agree with these silly titles bestowed upon them making both her and Alan Sugar believe that they are superior to everyone without one.

Patsy70 I agree a lot of it is contrived. I even wonder about the "Baroness Brady* bit. I think Lord Sugar's dreadful jokes are scripted. I just can't believe how unintelligent the contestants are.

I actually have a soft spot for Lord Sugar. He wears wonderful suits.
I have watched a couple of episodes of this series. Just awful contestants.
As my husband says “I wouldn’t have given any of them a job when I was in business”.

I also like Karen Brady

It was very uncomfortable to watch. The bullying was awful and they didn't give the candidates a chance to reply, they just bulldozed them. It was awful. They are there to give advice and help the candidates not bully them.
The worst part was Baroness Karren Brady telling one of the candidates who called her Karren to call her Baroness Brady as only her friends called her Karren!! Totally unnecessary!! I cant stand her!! I dont know who she thinks she is.

Yes, I agree that so much of this programme is probably staged to make it “good” tv, to grab the audience, but nevertheless, I feel that encouraging nastiness, selfishness, greed and belittling to enable a programme to be “good” tv is abhorrent. It’s not the only programme around that does this, of course.
There is so much nastiness and unpleasantness in this world and programmes such as this only encourage this to be the norm, in my humble opinion, when it most certainly shouldn’t be.

I really enjoy the Apprentice and have watched all the episodes over the years. I love to see how the candidates figure out how to invent, design and get on with each other.

I worked as a cleaner for a woman who had a relative involved with the making of this programme. She told me that,yes, a lot of it is contrived, but the real characters of the candidates inevitably come out in spite of this.

The plastic surgery element is disturbing as these very young women had no need to mutilate their faces, particularly their lips the way they have. It worries me that this is becoming the norm and my 16 year old Granddaughter is already thinking about changing her face. Horror.

Rosalyn69

I actually have a soft spot for Lord Sugar. He wears wonderful suits.
I have watched a couple of episodes of this series. Just awful contestants.
As my husband says “I wouldn’t have given any of them a job when I was in business”.

I do like Lord Sugar having seen him on other programmes.

Karren Brady? 🤔

I thought that the woman who wanted to open boxing gyms was the only one who had actually put in the work to get grants etc for her business plan. I don't know what the other finalist wants to do. Is it opening another hairdressing salon? The interview clips were so short, I couldn’t make it out.

My money's on the boxer.
She is more proactive than the others, not that I like boxing but it does seem popular.

The other finalist wants to expand her hairdressing business into Belgravia and other upmarket areas I think.

I thought the Interviewers were despicable towards the candidates, they showed no manners or respect whatsoever. There was no need for their abhorrent humiliation of the candidates. Who the hell did they think they were. They weren't interviewing them, they were just hell bent on tearing a strip off each one, downright nasty and uncalled for. Not clever !

To be fair, the business plans were not very robust. This year's finalists. though, are a far cry from the likes of Katie Hopkins. They do seem to like each other and were supportive during the interview process. Still I suppose the producers think that the viewing public likes a bit of nasty. But the programme has become stale now and I don't think I will bother next year.

I don't think there are many people like Katie Hopkins, to be fair!!

Callistemon21

I don't think there are many people like Katie Hopkins, to be fair!!

Don't get me started!

Dottydots

I watched it and could have cried for those poor girls. How they were spoken to was disgusting.

What do you think the young girls are there for: in the hope they will be seen
They aren’t wilting violets straight out of the convent.

Well, she is a one-off!!
We hope 😁

I always think it’s ridiculous to expect the candidates to plan and successfully complete a variety of weekly tasks in 2 or 3 days. It’s not surprising they then mess them up and get ripped to pieces by Lord Sugar.
In the real world these sort of projects would take weeks if not months of planning, with the chance to consult experts in the particular field and with the benefit of being able to use the internet to research.

Frogs

I always think it’s ridiculous to expect the candidates to plan and successfully complete a variety of weekly tasks in 2 or 3 days. It’s not surprising they then mess them up and get ripped to pieces by Lord Sugar.
In the real world these sort of projects would take weeks if not months of planning, with the chance to consult experts in the particular field and with the benefit of being able to use the internet to research.

It must take a lot of hard work to mess up dog food though!

I can't imagine any self-respecting dog going for that gunge.

Well I love it! Alan Sugar reminds me of my dad - same quick mind/quips (although I suspect they might be rehearsed!) I think the interviews are deliberately tough to discover whether these people can back up their claims etc and as someone said these are very egotistical people, so this is designed, I'm sure, to take them down a peg or two. They, themselves have chosen to endure this process on tv. If they've watched the show, they should know what they are letting themselves in for.
Having said that, I did think the "baroness Brady" bit was OTT and unnecessary since throughout the process, Alan Sugar had referred to her as "Karen"! Therefore the contestants already know her as simply "Karen". That was very wrong
I like trying to decide what I would do in the shoes of the contestants, to fulfil the tasks set. Wish he'd do a show for people who might have a good idea for a product but no idea how to bring it to market, nor in owning the business that does. I'd happily accept a percentage of profits if any of my ideas were taken up and I think AS could have a new show on these lines! Lots of people have good ideas but don't want to start up a business.

“Alan Sugar had referred to her as "Karen"! Therefore the contestants already know her as simply "Karen".

It is normal to refer to someone of equal “rank” with a christian name, lower ranks should use “sir or lord” as appropriate unless otherwise directed.
You may not like the ranking system but if you want to progress you have to live with it.

I probably won’t watch the next series. ‘Baroness Brady’ was the last straw. Doesn’t anyone look at the business plans as part of the audition process? Maybe they are selected on the basis of choosing those with the most bombastic claims on their tapes.

First of all I think there has been a misunderstanding over the 'Karen/Baroness Brady' issue...I have just watched (in TOTAL amazement!) the last episode (accidently found while scrolling through the channels I must add!) and it was the contestant who actually corrected herself after she called Ms Brady, 'Karen'...as she turned to leave she then hurriedly said 'Baroness' Brady...Secondly, a poster suggested "I think we have to put aside their cosmetic procedures and dress sense."...I could NOT agree less!! I know at 74 I would be considered 'old and irrelevant' in this new world order but I do keep up with modern trends and am often told that I 'don't look or act my age' but SERIOUSLY?! Why can't these BEAUTIFUL young women see what they have done to themselves? Why do they all seem to be practically clones of each other and PLEASE, somebody tell me why they pay actual money to get lips that resemble either at best, a pair of pink slugs or at worst, a baboon's backside?! There was sooo much botox floating around in that studio no wrinkle would dare show itself, unless it was on Alan Sugar's face obviously! My point is that if they don't even realise that, in many people's eyes, they have made themselves the object of ridicule (sorry, I know that's subjective but nevertheless it's true) how do they expect to be taken seriously, garner respect or inspire confidence in their self professed abilities? Well actually, let's face it, that overall ability didn't add up to much either did it? Thankfully the only one who looked and sounded as if she even knew vaguely what she was doing, what her aims were and had even an original business plan is in the final! No, not the one who would win 'who's got the biggest lips competition'!!