Sugar fudges the final decision
SO IN the end, Lord Sugar did something he has never done before, and got roundly criticised for it.
The normally decisive tycoon was unable to choose between finalists Sarah Lynn and James White, and opted to let both of them win.
“I’ve got a real dilemma,” he complained, mulling over whether Sarah’s retro sweets business or James IT recruitment company was worthy of his £250,000 investment.
Neither was a business idea to change the world (or even their particular sectors), and with Claude’s advice to “listen to his gut” still ringing in his ears, the boss decided to double his investment and hire both candidates as his business partners.
“I just couldn’t decide,” the conflicted peer explained. “It’s cost me half-a-million quid but it’s going to be worth it.”
The decision was not universally welcomed, with some fans accusing Lord Sugar of a cop-out.
Strange that the boss should regard the two finalists as such “credible” contenders. In Apprentice history, neither will stand out as memorable winners. Bland is perhaps the kindest description you could give both steady, sensible Sarah and ambitious, overconfident James.
Luckily, in the final we had the previously sacked candidates to keep us entertained, back to help Sarah and James with the task of marketing their respective enterprises.
After winning the toss, James opted for Jewish contestant Charles as his first pick, giving a clue to the bromance that had formed in the heady days of hotel decorating and corporate hospitality.
“Life without you has been tough,” sighed Charles after the reunion. Perhaps the BBC should commission a follow-up series as this duo shmoozes its way round the business world?
There was no sign of the other Jewish candidate, Elliot, indicating that he had wisely chosen to forgo an additional round of reality TV humiliation.
Teams assembled, it was time to bring their business ideas to life, complete with branding, a video and TV advert, and a website to boot.
For both, it was the usual catalogue of disasters, which culminated in delivering pitches to an audience at City Hall in London.
Sarah impressed, bringing the enthusiasm she had occasionally mislaid in the past. James gave a shakier performance, despite wearing his “make me look clever” specs. Whether Lord Sugar was paying attention was anyone’s guess; he seemed to spend most of Sarah’s pitch sampling the merchandise and grinning, appropriately, like a kid in a candy store.
Perhaps his wits were befuddled by the resulting sugar rush. It would explain why his big decision turned out to be a fudge.
Chutzpah of the series: Lord Sugar, for still eking life out of a tired concept more than a decade on.
Luckily, the previously sacked candidates were back