● REALITY TV DOUBLE DRAMA
“I DON’T think I did myself any disservice — and it wasn’t a clear-cut thing where I got fired.”
So reflected Jewish Apprentice contestant Elliot Van Emden on being fired from the BBC business-themed reality show after only three episodes.
He was shown the door by Lord Sugar, the show’s host, after taking the blame for his team’s failure in marketing and selling two robots.
Mr Van Emden told the JC that “it was a difficult task and I didn’t feel I was responsible for the failure.
“But I think Lord Sugar has to balance the weight between someone like Michaela [the team leader], who’s made very questionable decisions, and someone like me, who was involved in those decisions, but who he [Lord Sugar] felt was ducking those decisions.
“Did I want to go? No. Did
I feel like I was going to be fired? No. But I do understand why Lord Sugar fired me.
“Some people will think I should have been and some people will think I shouldn’t have been and I’m content with that.”
Mr Van Emden, who attends Edgware United Synagogue, said he had no regrets about appearing in the programme. “I always loved The Apprentice — it’s my favourite TV show. I’m 100 per cent happy to have taken part.
He said he has coped well with the fame that went with his fleeting television stardom.
“As soon as it broke that I was on The Apprentice, I had a hundred messages, Facebook messages, phone calls. I was at a Spurs game on Sunday and I got recognised on the way to the stadium.” As for potentional winners, he recommended that viewers watch James, Ross and Bushra. “We never worked together but in the house we spoke a fair amount. We got on really well, we were discussing the difference between our religions. “Bushra’s a very religious Muslim, so it was interesting to discuss the different views of how we live our lives.”