WHO WILL BE HIRED?
THEY’VE done everything from scoop poo to work on a cruise ship in a bid to bag £250,000 of investment for their business dreams.
And tonight Sarah Lynn or James White will hear Lord Alan Sugar’s life-changing twist on his famous “You’re fired” catchphrase when he decides which new Apprentice will be hired.
The pair saw their three fellow semi-finalists fired by the business supremo on Wednesday in their bid to win £250,000 worth of investment.
In tonight’s episode James and Sarah are set to go head-tohead and present their business plans to more than 200 experts.
James, who runs an IT recruitment firm, said: “It was a really really great feeling – obviously you enter this process and the one thing you want to do is get to the final because that’s the point where you really get to showcase your business. I thought all the five candidates who were left were very credible but it’s such a relief as well – you feel excited but you’re still not over that line yet, you’ve still got a lot to do.”
Sarah, who owns a business selling sweets, said it was “incredible” to “survive” the interview episode, which has become a fan favourite for its ruthless takedown of contestants.
She said: “It’s hard to take. You sit there and you know it’s coming and you know you can’t escape it – it’s like nothing else. I don’t think any interview ever in life again will be tough after that.”
In the final episode the pair have to create a video advert and billboard for their companies and present them to industry experts. They receive a little help from the fired contestants and get tips from previous Apprentice winners.
Last year, Alana Spencer became the first Welsh winner of the show – but she has endured a tricky week after some of her cakes were recalled over potential health risks.
A range of cakes made by Alana, from Aberystwyth, were recalled last week by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Ridiculously Rich by Alana recalled the cakes because some allergens had not been listed and others were not correctly declared.
Customers who had bought products including the Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road, Peanut Butter Fudge Cake, and Gooey Chocolate Brownie were advised – if they had allergies to soya, peanuts, nuts, eggs and/or allergy or intolerance to wheat, barley, oats (gluten), milk and/ or a sensitivity to sulphites – not to eat them and instead return them to the store where they bought them from for a refund.
The FSA website said the company had also issued correspondence to its customers to explain why products were being recalled, telling them what to do if they had bought the product.
Alana has revealed how she explained to her business partner and mentor Lord Sugar what had happened.
Spencer told the BBC: “He was not happy, obviously, but if you’re honest with him, tell him what’s gone wrong and what you’re doing to ensure it doesn’t happen again, he will support you. Initially, I sent him an email to explain but he phoned me straight away and asked ‘Is it sorted?’. Then he gave me a list of things I needed to do and at the end of the conversation, he said, ‘Okay Alana, do not let it happen again. Now move on’.
“The labels are all correct now and we’re recruiting a food technologist to take care of this side of the business in the future.”
She added: “No excuses, this was 100% a mistake. It should never have happened and I am truly sorry that it did. I’m totally mortified.”
The Apprentice final is on BBC One at 9pm tonight.