The Apprentice 2011

[Trinity]

Yep, you're right, sorry - typo!

I think that I am going loopy, I am off work with stress and can hardly remember the month let alone the day at the moment

[DaVeyWaVey]

loving the Apprentice as always this year... I really like Helen, but I think it's looking too perfect for her to win. She's always been on the winning team, she pitches well and sells well. She's good at communicating with other people. She is extremely polished but it's all looking too set up for her to win. I get the feeling that if she puts a foot wrong, Lord Sugar will have her fired... a bit like Liz last year. She was looking like she was gonna get hired, but then LS got rid of her.

I can't believe how dumb Susan is, Zoe is OK but she hasn't done anything special for her to stand out to me, I liked Jim at first but now I've gone off him, Melody has the potential but she needs to work on her people skills. Tom is sweet and is probably my favourite out of everyone that's left. He's intelligent and would make the perfect business partner I think, but he just needs to speak out more. I get the feeling that Natasha is pretty clueless and doesn't know what she's on about half the time... she just goes with the flow and hopes that it works out... I don't think she has much business sense, she just talks the biz hoping she's getting it all right. I laughed so much when Tom and Natasha did rock paper scissors to decide who would do the pitch! And Lord Sugar's bemused face in the boardroom was brilliant.... 'You tossed a coin?' 'No, actually we played rock paper scissors" Excellent lol!

I predict that it's going to be a Tom v Melody final.

[parkerman]

I do think Zoe's got her head screwed on right.

Oh well, another parkerman tip bites the dust!

Golden girl Helen triumphs again.

Somebody please slap Melody with a wet kipper.

One thing I don't understand about The Apprentice - can someone help me? - what happens about these 800,000 units that Asda have ordered because, of course, they are not a real biscuit manufacturing company?

[Chloe O'brien]

Jedi Jim the BBIW (Biggest bullsh1ter in the world) Classic Lord Sugar. Melody needs a good slap but she did have a point about having a target market she was just so negative against anyone else suggestions. Zoe told big fibs about not liking the biscuit she stood in the kitchen and said that's a proper biscuit the others should have pulled her up for that. I would have put out Susan last night for lack of work in the project and left Zoe & Melody in to keep fighting.

[Siobhan]

I don't need a wet kipper to slap her.. I am willing to fly to UK and smack her myself. She told Zoe not to go to the factory, she said that the package had to be done right.. She also last week did market research of about 5 people and was happy with it but when Swansea 10 said her biscuit was ****.. well what did they know.. she just switches off

Really thought Tom was gone this week.. But how amazing is Helen... workout that she earned Lord Alan 1.8 million in last 2 tasks, he will be mad to let her go.

[Trinity]

OMG - I am visualising a Monty Python sketch, with the whole gang dancing around with kippers in their hands - slapping Melody in the face every time the music stops.

Helen was lucky this week, I thought that the slogan and marketing in general was rubbish - and if they really did sell 800,000 units to Asda how would they pay for all the airy fairy Harry Potter type advertising that Jimbo promised them. I really thought that that sale should have been disqualified due to his lies.

[parkerman]

That's what I mean, Trinity. Asda know it's not a real company and can't actually promise anything - not even the biscuits. Can someone help me!!!???

[Trinity]

I have had a quick internet search and cannot find any official information, but there is no way that the orders for apprentice developed products could be fulfilled. They cannot manually make 800K packets of biscuits, there would be large set up costs for mechanising it all, the nutritional values would have to be evaluated and checked, the packaging redone to Asda's spec, the advertising etc that Jim promised would cost too much etc etc.

When they are selling on behalf of other people, e.g. ceramic teapot lights - I think that those are real sales, but then again for small manufacturers I don't know how they can guarantee the volumes required.

[Siobhan]

they have asked for exclusivity so it might be over a number of months/years...

[parkerman]

they have asked for exclusivity so it might be over a number of months/years...

Yes, but my point is - and reinforced by Trinity - that they are not a real company. Who is going to make these biscuits and carry out the advertising etc.?