Watching last night's Final Four programme, Stephanie's father runs A1 Carriages, the used car dealer between Dartford and Crayford
Interesting watching the way the producers switch tone for this episode. Gone are the comedy background music, the cut aways to scornful looks and comments from Sugar's assistants, and editing to make them all look as dumb, conceited, and arse-holeish as possible, and suddenly it's all look how humble, lovely, hard-working, and competent they all are.
Harpreet miles ahead of the others even with the sister complication
The most creditable business there, but that's a massive issue as LS doesn't know who does what in the business. And it seems weird that her sister would agree to step aside in that way
Last nights was hilarious, really good car crash TV. Really enjoyed each one of them getting ripped to pieces, it made for good TV.
Shame Brittany's idea was a bit weak as to me she is the best candidate, not really a fan of Harpreet but surely she cant lose from here? I know they are throwing the bits with her sister in but still the business/idea is much more something worth investing. Ok the only chance Katherine has is going into business it will iron out the little details like where they are getting it from and build on, but more work to do so would be madness.
Well, if there was ever a doubt, it's clear from last night's episode that Lord Sugar does NOT have sight of the business cases in advance. No way would any savvy business entertain either Stephanie or Brittany's plans:
Steph - on-line designer clothes validated only by having sight of a photo of the item. As if the reputational risks to LS of that crazily-unreliable method of proving authenticity of higher value items wasn't enough reason to run a million miles in the opposite direction, it turns out the 'specialist' who would do the validating only deals with bags and shoes. You couldn't write it, could you - except Steph did!
Brittany - totally hypothetical idea to create a protein-inclusive alcoholic drink. Not only does it already exist unsuccessfully elsewhere in the world, it tastes bloody awful. Totally random idea from Brittany whose background is working a hotel with no relationship to the planned business other than liking protein and alcohol. The business plan seemed to have been written by a 12 year old
As for Harpreet's dessert shop, how the hell did her partnership business qualify her to join the process which is all about investment in an individual. Surely, the production/casting team would have screened her out? It's ludicrous to suggest her business partner/sister will simply walk away from the business - even (and maybe also especially) if you consider that this seems to be stereotypical Asian family business set up.
Who wins?.........................if you discount Harpreet because of the complicated partnership arrangement, it's gotta be Katherine's scaled-down family/pets pyjama business. Great gifting idea that will be jumped on in stores like John Lewis and on-line generally.
In summary, 3 of the 4 business plans appear to be complete non-starters. I have to say that the quality of the candidates this year are the worst bunch of any season imho.
Well, if there was ever a doubt, it's clear from last night's episode that Lord Sugar does NOT have sight of the business cases in advance. No way would any savvy business entertain either Stephanie or Brittany's plans:
Steph - on-line designer clothes validated only by having sight of a photo of the item. As if the reputational risks to LS of that crazily-unreliable method of proving authenticity of higher value items wasn't enough reason to run a million miles in the opposite direction, it turns out the 'specialist' who would do the validating only deals with bags and shoes. You couldn't write it, could you - except Steph did!
Brittany - totally hypothetical idea to create a protein-inclusive alcoholic drink. Not only does it already exist unsuccessfully elsewhere in the world, it tastes bloody awful. Totally random idea from Brittany whose background is working a hotel with no relationship to the planned business other than liking protein and alcohol. The business plan seemed to have been written by a 12 year old
As for Harpreet's dessert shop, how the hell did her partnership business qualify her to join the process which is all about investment in an individual. Surely, the production/casting team would have screened her out? It's ludicrous to suggest her business partner/sister will simply walk away from the business - even (and maybe also especially) if you consider that this seems to be stereotypical Asian family business set up.
Who wins?.........................if you discount Harpreet because of the complicated partnership arrangement, it's gotta be Katherine's scaled-down family/pets pyjama business. Great gifting idea that will be jumped on in stores like John Lewis and on-line generally.
In summary, 3 of the 4 business plans appear to be complete non-starters. I have to say that the quality of the candidates this year are the worst bunch of any season imho.
What do you reckon?
Looking at the other candidates who went earlier, you have someone like Dillon Phillips lookalike Alex who seems to own a far more creditable business, and who probably would have won if he had made it to the interviews
No credible business person is going on The Apprentice to look daft in front of an audience of millions so you end up with kids who want fame, oddballs or weak business plans for small cottage industries.
One of them didn't have a business plan never mind even a business
Another one sold 50 god damn units of her business so far
How did they ever get this far? Absolutely farcical
The two finalists are no better
Stephanie was impressive during the competition (even if I didn't like her) but how can someone who has been funded by a wealthy father seriously say she has a business plan to go global selling second hand kids clothes when she has only sold 50 items on e-bay? How did she get through the selection process? Brittany's protein drinks were just an idea and not original at that - she hadn't even made one. The pair of them must have made these plans up just to get on the show.
I couldn’t bring myself to comment as I’m still in awe of the utter fuckwittery of the entrepreneurs who were brought back.
The sight of Nick and the other fella on their knees pretending that they couldn’t believe how lucky they were to encounter a table of desserts is still haunting me, the stupid looks on their ridiculous faces.
Thought the end seemed a bit rushed, unless Lord Sugar had just had enough and wanted away as quickly as possible.
Quite a dull final. Perhaps illustrated by zero comments on this thread since it aired.
I always find the final less interesting that the other episodes, especially with the new investment prize, as your performance in the final task ultimately won't count if LS doesn't like your business
No credible business person is going on The Apprentice to look daft in front of an audience of millions so you end up with kids who want fame, oddballs or weak business plans for small cottage industries.
This. In all honesty, it's really an audition for love island, or celebrity MasterChef.
i think the apprentice has had its day. How can someone whose business has sold a grand total of 50 items make it onto the show never mind the final.
Indeed. Can you imagine what would happen if that person turned up in the Dragons Den looking for £250,000 worth of investment for a 50% share in the business? I can just hear one of them saying "so let's take a look at the figures. What was your gross and net profit for last year?"
The best task for me is when they have a list of items to buy and that wasn't in this series. It was pretty obvious that neither business had any legs. The matching pyjamas is a gimmick that Supermarkets have already covered and dogs don't wear pyjamas. The cakes is a saturated market and has absolutely no chance of taking off.
i think the apprentice has had its day. How can someone whose business has sold a grand total of 50 items make it onto the show never mind the final.
So do I. The ridiculous power dressing and hierarchical management style on show seems so dated in the modern business world. I like the show, but it needs a complete rethink and new, fresh thinking approach
We’ve just caught up with it this week. Just a terrible, terrible season. Got a bit bored for a while and actually abandoned it for a while to watch an old series (the one with Ricky Martin from a few years ago) to see what it used to be like. Now, I don’t think that season was necessarily a classic, and there were some nobheads that year, but the quality of contestant was streets ahead of this shower of shite. One thing I’ll say about the final - the contestants they brought back represented the season perfectly. None more so than the waste of oxygen Navid who, as far as I could tell, had no discernible skills at all. I genuinely think a child would have been more use than him.
It was a dreadful season. No deserving winner (unless one of the early leavers was just unlucky with a poor start.) The best towards the end was clearly Harpreet but she just reminded me of every jumped up Next Store Manager I’ve ever met - (and I’ve met a few) - all brainless corporate bollocks and pseudo-business bullshit. I found her intensely unlikeable, but at least she wasn’t useless like Navid, clueless like Akeem, utterly “Tim-Nice-But-Dim” like Nick or totally self-obsessed and lacking in self-awareness and personality like Amy. Most of the rest of them were just a bit shit.
I really didn’t expect it after the first week or two because I thought he’d do my head in, but Akshay was probably the most entertaining candidate. I’ve no idea whether his business plan was any good, but he had a naïve charm about him and his cockiness and blind spots somehow weren’t as grating as Amy’s. Sugar definitely liked him - told him to keep in touch when he fired him and there was a definite friendly exchange during the final.
Anyway, we ploughed through it, got there in the end. Weirdly, I didn’t find Karren quite so annoying by the end. Maybe because she wasn’t doing the “just eaten a dogshit sandwich” look quite so much, but also because I think I felt sorry for her having to hang around with these useless gimboids.
So there you go. That’s what I thought of it anyway! 😎
Something very similar to the apprentice, well the concept. Gordon Ramsays new program Future food stars #ffs
Saw this on goggle box and Gordon offering £150k to the winners business, now where did he get that idea? I liked the first episode and could be interesting, the first one they had groups where they competed and then the losers team someone got fired/told to go....
Comments
Interesting watching the way the producers switch tone for this episode. Gone are the comedy background music, the cut aways to scornful looks and comments from Sugar's assistants, and editing to make them all look as dumb, conceited, and arse-holeish as possible, and suddenly it's all look how humble, lovely, hard-working, and competent they all are.
Shame Brittany's idea was a bit weak as to me she is the best candidate, not really a fan of Harpreet but surely she cant lose from here? I know they are throwing the bits with her sister in but still the business/idea is much more something worth investing. Ok the only chance Katherine has is going into business it will iron out the little details like where they are getting it from and build on, but more work to do so would be madness.
Steph - on-line designer clothes validated only by having sight of a photo of the item. As if the reputational risks to LS of that crazily-unreliable method of proving authenticity of higher value items wasn't enough reason to run a million miles in the opposite direction, it turns out the 'specialist' who would do the validating only deals with bags and shoes. You couldn't write it, could you - except Steph did!
Brittany - totally hypothetical idea to create a protein-inclusive alcoholic drink. Not only does it already exist unsuccessfully elsewhere in the world, it tastes bloody awful. Totally random idea from Brittany whose background is working a hotel with no relationship to the planned business other than liking protein and alcohol. The business plan seemed to have been written by a 12 year old
As for Harpreet's dessert shop, how the hell did her partnership business qualify her to join the process which is all about investment in an individual. Surely, the production/casting team would have screened her out? It's ludicrous to suggest her business partner/sister will simply walk away from the business - even (and maybe also especially) if you consider that this seems to be stereotypical Asian family business set up.
Who wins?.........................if you discount Harpreet because of the complicated partnership arrangement, it's gotta be Katherine's scaled-down family/pets pyjama business. Great gifting idea that will be jumped on in stores like John Lewis and on-line generally.
In summary, 3 of the 4 business plans appear to be complete non-starters. I have to say that the quality of the candidates this year are the worst bunch of any season imho.
What do you reckon?
https://stag-cleaning.com/
Another one sold 50 god damn units of her business so far
How did they ever get this far? Absolutely farcical
The two finalists are no better
The sight of Nick and the other fella on their knees pretending that they couldn’t believe how lucky they were to encounter a table of desserts is still haunting me, the stupid looks on their ridiculous faces.
Thought the end seemed a bit rushed, unless Lord Sugar had just had enough and wanted away as quickly as possible.
One thing I’ll say about the final - the contestants they brought back represented the season perfectly. None more so than the waste of oxygen Navid who, as far as I could tell, had no discernible skills at all. I genuinely think a child would have been more use than him.
It was a dreadful season. No deserving winner (unless one of the early leavers was just unlucky with a poor start.) The best towards the end was clearly Harpreet but she just reminded me of every jumped up Next Store Manager I’ve ever met - (and I’ve met a few) - all brainless corporate bollocks and pseudo-business bullshit. I found her intensely unlikeable, but at least she wasn’t useless like Navid, clueless like Akeem, utterly “Tim-Nice-But-Dim” like Nick or totally self-obsessed and lacking in self-awareness and personality like Amy. Most of the rest of them were just a bit shit.
I really didn’t expect it after the first week or two because I thought he’d do my head in, but Akshay was probably the most entertaining candidate. I’ve no idea whether his business plan was any good, but he had a naïve charm about him and his cockiness and blind spots somehow weren’t as grating as Amy’s. Sugar definitely liked him - told him to keep in touch when he fired him and there was a definite friendly exchange during the final.
Anyway, we ploughed through it, got there in the end. Weirdly, I didn’t find Karren quite so annoying by the end. Maybe because she wasn’t doing the “just eaten a dogshit sandwich” look quite so much, but also because I think I felt sorry for her having to hang around with these useless gimboids.
So there you go. That’s what I thought of it anyway! 😎
Saw this on goggle box and Gordon offering £150k to the winners business, now where did he get that idea? I liked the first episode and could be interesting, the first one they had groups where they competed and then the losers team someone got fired/told to go....
BBC - Thursday i think, i downloaded it.