The looks on the others faces when Ben didn't return lol - They had him down as a cert.

Gosh, Saira doesn't need a megaphone. Her voice is so loud it overpowers every conversation. If it hadn't been for the rather ineffective Raj, it would have been her that went tonight.

Originally I thought Saira just spoke to those that she thought were beneath her in that patronising tone, but she speaks to everyone like that - even Sir Alan.

I'm going off Saira more and more each week. I didn't like the way she was taking the mick out of James because he spoke 'posh' in a place like Tottenham, then goes on to describe how you've got to say 'watcha mate' and talk in a way they'll understand. At least James is honest and doesn't try to hide his roots. I feel sorry for him being lumbered with her for at least another week.

i like saira, i think she knows what she is doing, even though she has a massive ego and will admit her mistakes and stuff, but she needs to turn it down a notch (including her ego), if shes going to be the apprentice she gonna talk to really (this is just a stereotype) posh buisnessmen and they wont like mrs. ego

which reminds, have I mentioned her ego? IU bet she thinks she better then sir alan himself

Saira is starting to get on my nerves now...her desperation made her get louder and louder. I'm glad Raj went tho.

I like James, but I think he is too nice.

The other girl - Miriam - reminds me of a sloth in looks...that long neck and roundy head.

My favourite is Paul.

Miriam is still my favourite. I know she's not as good reality telly material as Saira and Paul, or clubbable like James, or totty like Tim, but her business strengths are increasingly in evidence. What it comes down to, really, is that she gets the job done efficiently and pleasantly.

But there's another way to look at this. It's apparent, especially after last night, that the Sugar Daddy's policy is to tease out the weakest link in each task and bin him or her - while taking past successes into account, to a certain extent. That doesn't necessarily mean that he likes or approves of whoever escapes the boot on each specific occasion. I agree with Nox: last night the only thing that saved Saira's neck was Raj's presence alongside her.

Accepting (for argument's sake) that this is Alan Sugar's policy, and remembering things he's said to the various candidates over the weeks, I think he's shown strong disapproval of every one of them at some point - other than Miriam.

He's got Saira and Paul pinned in the "I'm a great salesman" mode and, having encouraged them both to wade a long way out from shore on the strength of self-belief on that score, last night he pointed out that he can get a salesperson any day but it takes more than sales skills to represent him at the highest level. I took that as evidence that he thinks they're both out of their depth. The tide is coming in behind them.

He's observed on several occasions that James doesn't seem to be anything more than one of the herd (my words) and last night made another blunt comment about a posh school, or something.

And Tim is definitely not top of his pops. How many times has he told Tim to stop saying nice things that he thinks Alan wants to hear?

Which leaves Miriam. She's my girl!

Does anyone know what job the eventual winner will be doing in the Sugar enterprise, and will they be working directly for the man himself? If so I'd have to ask myself could I bear working for a self confessed autocrat like him?

i like saira, i think she knows what she is doing, even though she has a massive ego and will admit her mistakes and stuff, but she needs to turn it down a notch

I wonder if next week will be the turning point for her, one way or another? It strikes me that being Saira means showing how determined you are by having the volume turned up to 11 and pushing your opinions in everyone else's face.

Sugar warned her last night that she has to curb it and as U.S. says turn it down. But if she does - what is there left? I think she will be nothing without her in your face approach, and that one way or another she might be out next week if she's on the losing team - either by continuing to be loud if she can't control it, or by shutting up and revealing she has nothing else to offer.

What a cracking episode last night! I think everyone thought Saira was going last night, including herself which was the reason for the tearful scene in which she said she was sapped of energy and didn’t know whether she wanted to go on. Yeah right, just covering herself and saving face. Notice she had forgotten about that little scene when they were sitting in the Boadroom. So Mr You Know Raj got the bullet at last He appeared to take it very well, I think he himself and the rest of us were amazed he got as far as he did. As for the winner, well it can turn any way. I think Sir Alan is looking for someone who is good at everything and no-body is, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. As for the six-figure salary, well that is £100k – is that REALLY that big a salary for today’s high flyers? Enough to give up your job for and be humiliated on the telly, I personally don’t think so!!!!

I'm with Dab. I didn't see last week's and was shocked when Ben went. I thought he and Miriam were the front runners for all-round ability. SF's also right, what else do Paul and Saira have other than "in your face" selling ability. They are both "blaggers" and, as AS says, there's no room for them. They remain purely on their past selling abilities.

Next week Paul or Saira to go. Miriam to win. She could be Margaret's rather well endowed understudy.

As for the six-figure salary, well that is £100k – is that REALLY that big a salary for today’s high flyers? Enough to give up your job for and be humiliated on the telly, I personally don’t think so!!!!

if its a six figure salary the minimum it could be is 100,000, after ten years thats a million......

and if its more then that you'll be a millionaire quite quickly

I'm loving this series... :)

I must admit I underestimated Miriam early on. It's hard to get the full picture when we're only seeing edited highlights, but it seemed to me at first that she was completely out of her depth. I'd have sacked her instead of Lindsey. Now that the teams are much smaller she's really coming into her own she's calm, well organised and has a good manner. The only problem with her is she doesn't quite excel at anything. If I was taking her on I'd be thinking of some kind of middle management, perhaps in personnel maybe. I'm not sure I'd pay her £100k though.

Tim was my early favourite, but he's looked less sound in recent weeks. He must be doing something right - he never seems to be chosen for the final firing line, and was the first to be picked when new teams were chosen for the Hackney Empire challenge. Maybe he's doing good stuff off-screen? Like with Miriam, I'd consider him for middle-management but I'm ont sure he's worth £100k.

James I thought was a twit at first. That was unfair - he's got a decent brain and a good way of handling people. I think he's too much the schmoozer though, and if Sir Alan stays to his word then James will be out pretty soon. No worries though - I suspect that Sir Alan's £100-ish k per year might represent a pay cut for James anyhow.

Saira and Paul I think are really tricky, because IMO they are the most talented, but they're also the most flawed. They are both commerically aware, good sellers and good negotiators (albeit with certain blind spots). Paul's management skills seem weak to me (as are his basic maths skills! ) and he strikes me as a little lazy at times. Also he loses his cool badly when challenged. Saira is the most talented of all I think, with great drive & determination, but she seems a poor team player, her manner is sometimes pushy, rude or condescending, and she has absolutely zero capacity for self-criticism. I reckon that if Sir A has a specific job in mind that could draw on those negotiating skills, then Saira could justify the six-figure salary. But she'd be a big risk. Personally I wouldn't employ her, because I reckon she'd do some damage within my own organisation.

So at the end of all that, I reckon I'll stick with Tim. But really it's too close to call, which is kinda the way we'd want it, isn't it? :)

Hey - I wonder if we're saying that none of them deserves the job!

Just looked at the apprentice website and it says
"In The Apprentice, fourteen aspiring entrepreneurs will endure rigorous tasks and compete for a hefty £100,000 job with philanthropist, Sir Alan Sugar in the longest and most exhilarating job interview ever."

So, it looks like the six figure salary only just makes it into six figures. Like Maria-Rob said, that's not a massive amount for a top-flight professional these days. I imagine people working directly alongside AS will be earning considerably more than that.

There's much talk about 'learning from' AS, but I reckon the winner is unlikely to see much if anything of him and they'll never see the boardroom again.

Whoever wins, I'd like to see a follow-up. It would be funny if they were fired after they'd been in the job only a short time.

I think its the program makers that are advising Alan to keep Saira in. Lets face it, yes she's very annoying, but it makes great TV and half the reason I tune in every week is to see her get fired!

I think its the program makers that are advising Alan to keep Saira in. Lets face it, yes she's very annoying, but it makes great TV and half the reason I tune in every week is to see her get fired!

Hi bcotter!

I think the same of Paul aswell. Obviously the programme has got to be entertaining and on some level most of the ones that have gone so far have been the least "entertaining" more so for some of them than the least able.

I was surprised Saira didn't get fired at first, but then I thought about it, and it has been the only task (IMO) that she hasn't done well in. I've said before she does get on my nerves a bit and is very patronising - oh and - if. she. could. stop. putting. a full. stop. after. every word. she. speaks. that would help me to like her a little.

Still, she is good at sales (mostly I think because people give in to her to shut her up, but she gets results, which is why I think Alan Sugar keeps her in.

I still would prefer Miriam to win I think.

Please let Paul go this week, he's so nasty.

Well it was no real surprise that the bumbling fool Raj went last night - he really should have gone before Ben IMO.

I know I will be shot down in flames but I slightly warmed to Saira last night, her tears I thought were genuine, and her 'honesty' did shine through. I really don't want her to win however, my money is still on Miriam. I just Miriam would step up her game slightly.

I think both Paul and Saira are impulsive and go getters - sometimes this strategy works other times it doesn't - last night Saira's strategy, albeit in a 'marketing - longterm way' was quite a good one. In the short term, [ie getting as many texts before 6pm], Pauls, Miriams and Bens was by far the most effective.

I am pleased that Raj went, and I think next week Tim should go - Tim is not as motivated IMO and he strikes me as being a bit hot-headed and a bit thick.

The final 4 will be Miriam, Saira, Paul and James.

Let's fire Sir Alain!

Let's fire Sir Alain!

Let’s get Sir Alan’s two toadies in and the dull Francis and each one has to explain why they should carry on in the Sugar Empire. I hope we get a fly on the wall account, say six months to a year later to see how the winner has got on. If its Saira (which I suspect it will be) I doubt if SA will have any staff left, she will have alienated them all with her aggressive bullying ways.