Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Businessman who outwits hopefuls on The Apprentice
FANS of The Apprentice have hailed Dundee businessman Mike Soutar after he used an old trick to catch out a candidate.
The former DC Thomson journalist returned to the BBC show on Thursday night as one of four entrepreneurs quizzing Lord Sugar’s prospective new business partners.
And the publishing tycoon delighted viewers as he caught out gym owner Rachel Woolford during their interview.
Analysing her business plan, Mike picked up on a claim that she had bought the domain name for the website of a new gym she wanted to open in Newcastle.
To her shock, Mike produced a document showing he had actually bought the URL. He then left Rachel red faced after revealing he had also bought another domain name featuring the specific location of her gym.
It was reminiscent of a tactic he used on 2022 candidate Kathryn Louise Burn, when he also bought the domain name she wanted to use.
After Rachel admitted she had made an error in not buying the domain names, the businessman agreed he would sell them to her for £34 plus VAT.
Meanwhile, he also left candidate Flo Edwards squirming after revealing the name she had chosen for her recruitment firm, Hathor Consulting, was already in existence, having been set up in Norfolk in 2018. The exchanges left fans of the show raving online.
Posting on X, Mike Minay said: “The best part of The Apprentice in any series is the sheer detective work of Mike Soutar to go and buy the candidates’ products/ web domains/whatever they’re wanting investment for.”
Reece McMahon posted: “I strongly urge everybody to check now that Mike doesn’t own your domain name, patent rights, house or firstborn child. The man is relentless.”
Andrew Jazzie said: “Year after year the candidates never learn. What Mike Soutar doesn’t know about company names and domain names isn’t worth knowing.”
And @tommtthw posted: “This man just loves buying domain names.”
Also @scward1991 wrote: “You can almost guarantee Mike Soutar will be busting out the purchased domains. Why don’t these people see it coming? Every. Damn. Year.”
Others praised Mike for being the “best” interviewer with some claiming he was tougher than long-time Lord Sugar associate Claude Littner.
Mike further poked holes in the plans of the other candidates.
He told pie firm owner Phil Turner to
“paint over” a sign claiming his business had been established in 1933 after finding out it had actually only been set up in 2012.
The former Fife schoolboy also left Tre Lowe in an awkward position when he produced samples he had had made of the candidate’s proposed testosteroneboosting drink. Mike then watched as Tre downed the sample, but declined to drink the full bottle himself, saying it had too much black pepper in it.
And Mike also hauled dental entrepreneur Paul Midha over the coals for including “ripped-off” photos of another company’s products in his business plan.
Mike then joined Lord Sugar and his other advisers in the boardroom to give his thoughts on the candidates, where he also offered some praise for them.
He recently admitted he was “very lucky” to bag an interviewer spot on the show.