my favourite section.


Some of Sir Alan's knobbish mates sort out the wheat from the chaff in ten easy minutes - lets face it, it's taken Sir Alan 10 weeks to do much the same!

I don't remember the interviews in the first series, but do remember last years, with some knock out, straight to the point bloke saying to Paul "Well I don't like you" ... when the cocksure Paul said "people find me likeable" ... class interviewing technique! :applause: :applause:

I like the interviews because they can crack the toughest cookie. Looking at some of the expressions on their faces was priceless. I thought they summed them all up fairly acuretly and am glad Tre isn`t in the final - it was an interview and he couldn`t even be bothered to wear a tie.

So who will become The Apprentice ?

Barring an absolute disaster next week, it will be Kristina.

Simon looked like a rabbit in the headlights last night, but did surprisingly well.

I honestly think Katie was trying to scupper the interviews by coming across as too ruthless. She's a consumate actress and I don't believe she's as tough as she tries to make out.

I loved her on "You're Fired". She stuck up to that Ultima woman superbly. I wouldn't like to work with her, but she has made this series for me.

I agree with Patsy. Unless something goes terribly wrong for her, Kristina will win. Well, at least she should win.

Having said that, I thought The Badger would win last year, and it went to the far weaker Michelle instead. So, you never can tell.

I'm not sure that Katie was trying to "scupper" the interviews though - I just think that she really believes that ruthlessness is an admirable attribute in a business environment. Which it is to an extent, but Katie took it too far.

She came across as almost as a charicature, seeming proud of the fact that she "Took another woman's husband because she decided she wanted him". Extra marital affairs happen and the people involved aren't necessarily demons, but she made it sound like this man was an acquisition rather than a passion. She's a despicable creature if that is true - totally lacking in integrity, devoid of moral compass and selfish to the point of narissism. No-one would really want someone with those characteristics leading a team in their business environment.

I do agree that she was terrific value in the show though, but she's a competitior - not a winner.

I did think that Katie wanted to win for the sake of winning yesterday. Surely she would have discussed with her family beforehand the arrangements "in case"? She did go up in my estimation though on the Your Fired programme, she made that rude Ultima woman look like a fool. She is not "loathed" either like Nick, rather daftly, stated. :angel_not

I didn't mind Katie, but I thought the whole boardroom scene looked totally staged. Even allowing for clever editing, there was something false about the whole thing. Sadly, the need for 'good telly' has taken the edge of the reality element.

And much as I dislike Michelle Mone, I thought she got the better of the exchange in that Katie should have recognised when discretion and keeping schtumm would have served her better.

I didn't mind Katie, but I thought the whole boardroom scene looked totally staged.....

Agreed. I thought exactly the same. It just didn't seem believeable.

And much as I dislike Michelle Mone, I thought she got the better of the exchange......

Agreed again! I thought Ultimo woman knocked spots off Katie in the argument. Katie made a good fist of fighting her corner, but she was definitely bested.

Ooh Fee - we were like 2 people with one mind last night!

And much as I dislike Michelle Mone, I thought she got the better of the exchange in that Katie should have recognised when discretion and keeping schtumm would have served her better.
Ultimo woman had two advantages - firstly she had the audience on her side, because of the way Katie's been protrayed through the series, and secondly she could always fall back on "I've made it and you haven't." Ignoring those two things, it was pretty even between the two.

...but, undeniably she has made it, and - yes - she had the majority of the audience on her side which is why I felt Katie would have done better if she'd had the nous to suss out the situation before taking on a bigger bitch than her. I felt she came over as allowing arrogance to put her in a position where she was punching above her weight, and I think that was to her detriment.

Katie doesn't seem the type to go into her shell. And if she was playing to the camera during the series then she continued in the same vein in the Adrain Chiles show - no flinching and no apologetics.

I thought the emotions expressed in that last boardroom seemed convincing. The situation itself was rather bizarre - that it took until the 11th hour for Katie to become aware of the kid/work issue - but I don't think SAS was acting.

Mik, I don't see someone like Katie not having everything lined up ready for her win and subsequent move to London. And I doubt if family arrangements will stand in the way if she gets offered a hot media deal. So I don't know if 'bizarre' is a word I'd use in connection with Katie's formidable career plans!

I can't help feeling that what we saw made better telly than simply announcing that Katie had withdrawn. And in terms of a compromise out of any contractual obligations, then she gets maximum media impact, and Sralan gets more kudos for his 'sharp operator' image.

On the Adrian Chiles show, I felt for the first time that she was beginning to flounder. At times her expression was almost frozen and she was pushed into a retaliatory position. Had she tried to be less clever, she'd have claimed the moral high ground. As someone who claims to do whatever it takes to win, she didn't on this occasion. Maybe she's human after all :wink2:

I don't think SAS was acting.
No, I don't either - he doesn't seem the type. And I don't think the kids/work issue was the real problem, I think that was a convenient get-out for her, I think the real reason was what we were led to suspect during the interviewers/SAS session, that she was doing the show for some ulterior purpose. It did seem as if she was given a way out at the 11th hour and took it, and if it was all genuine, as seen on the show, then SAS is phenomenally shrewd.

I don't think that Katie was ever too bothered about working for Amstrad - that's part of the reason she was relatively relaxed in all the previous boardrooms. I think she wanted to win the competition though. My take was that SAS put her on the spot by getting her to affirm her commitment to the job, and she didn't want to risk winning and then failing at a job she wasn't fully committed to.

At it was, things worked out very well for her. By walking out she gave the public impression of some nobility of spirit (false, no doubt). She can reassure herself she walked of her own accord, rather than being fired. It saves her the desperate humiliation of being beaten by Kristina in the final. All win win for Katie.

I find it hard to believe it could have been acted convincingly, even with the benefit of editing the film. I don't think that SAS was especially shrewd - it ought to have been obvious that Katie wasn't looking as smug as she should have been.

Anyway - surely Kristina must win now. Simon's had a charmed life to get to the final two.

I don't think that SAS was especially shrewd


Shrewd enough to offer her a way out which she took - how often would you expect that at this stage ?

I agree with all of Mik's last post, except for the shrewd bit. I thought he'd sussed her out completely, with the help of his henchmen, and made it her choice to step down. All she wanted to do was win. This whole show was a showcase for her talents, both as a businesswoman and an actress.

She walked out knowing she could have been in the final two and possibly the winner and also knowing how much that would gall Kristina. To be chosen before her is one thing, for her to be able to go through because Katie withdrew must be a bitter pill for her to swallow.

Simon couldn't believe his luck; it showed all over his face.

This series would have been dull, dull, dull without The Divine Ms Hopkins.

I actually thought Katie came out better than the Ultimo woman who just sounded really bitchy.

I enjoyed Katie's humour throughout the show and I think she's been a bit misunderstood in that department. I wouldn't, however, want to work with or for her.

She'd had a great makeover too.

She'd had a great makeover too.

Gosh yes. I kept wondering how they'd manage to prise the pale blue eyeshadow away from her. She still looks a damn site older than early thirties though!

I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to harp on about who's looking after the kids etc at interviews? I'm not talking about Sir Alan, but the bozos who did the interviewing seemed to really push both Katie and Kristina on this, but not Tre (who I understand also has children).

Agree with Fee that Katie would have definitely have spoken about a move to London with her children's carers (who seem to be her parents). She definitely wanted to win, but didn't really want the job. Still the way Sir Alan "wheedled" it out of her, was all part of the biz we call show rather than any insight on Sir Alan's behalf, imo. But yes it was a shrewd move cos ... well cos it made Sir Alan look shrewd!

Personally I thought Simon came across terribly in the interviews - he hardly made any eye contact and seemed really nervous and uncomfortable with himself ... and yet at the same time quite cocky (although for the life of me I don't know what he's got to be cocky about) He deffo should ahve gone last week, I think if he hadn't then Sir Alan would have had to put Naomi through into the final.

Still like Lohit though and think he is probably a very very nice man who will lead a very happy life and will be well thought of by his colleagues - and what's wrong with that?

Tre - I'm gonna miss that guy - he softened over the last few weeks, but from next week's preview shown I think he's back to his abrasive, rude, obnoxious self!

I shall be watching the Katie/Paul chemistry and see if there is any left now that she doesn't need his vote anymore!

One more week to go! :cry: :cry:

I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to harp on about who's looking after the kids etc at interviews? I'm not talking about Sir Alan, but the bozos who did the interviewing seemed to really push both Katie and Kristina on this, but not Tre (who I understand also has children).

I think tha was because both Katie and Kristina are single parents, so its not a "given" that there will be a carer in place.

I doubt that anyone who was "drop-dead shroooood"

would ever endure a 10 week televised interview to go and sell cheap electrical in Mile end for 100k pa

I think tha was because both Katie and Kristina are single parents, so its not a "given" that there will be a carer in place.


I still don't think it's "cricket" to ask though!

I doubt that anyone who was "drop-dead shroooood"

would ever endure a 10 week televised interview to go and sell cheap electrical in Mile end for 100k pa

Better than selling it in Tottenham Court Road for six quid an hour.

It's also contrary to the EOC Code of Practice. If they do get an actual Contract of Employment.

I'm sure Sralan and Margaret will have it covered somehow.

I still don't think it's "cricket" to ask though!

Yeah, I agree.

Personally, I think it should be accepted that if someone is pursuing a position, they would already have the necessary home arrangements in place.

Although as it turned out, in Katie's case that would not have been a good assumption.