The Apprentice (IRL)

starn

OPENROAD wrote: »

Posssibly,from UK Version Series 1, James Max now has a very successfull media career, on sky news quite a bit, doing newspaper reviews but also has an exellent Business show on the radio LBC on a Sunday 17:00 sky ch 0177 well worth a listen. That said he was a investment banker before The Apprentice.

If I remeber rightly Nick Hewer couldnt understand why James was on the show. Had he won it would of ment taking a pay cut.
James should of won that season being head and shoulders above the other candidates.

I really think appearing on the Irish apprentice is carrer suicide for almost everyone involved.

On the upside maybe Tom Dunne will resurect Dr. Bill on his rdio show

noobie

Why are they carrying the type of luggage at the end you normally take to the airport?;)

lee_arama

I'm waiting for the scandal to hit the papers over at least one of the girls...

No sooner was her mug up on the telly than herselfs phone starts ringing mad with all her gang doing the 'OMG! Look at yer wan on the telly!'

Apparently she did something very naughty a while back and got the boot over it.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Anyone know if this is streamable/watchable for us overseas viewers?!

FrankGrimes

Sky+ is krud.....Windows Media Center FTW!

I could skip the ads but I was still thinking there were too many of them.

I really expected this to be a total cringefest but thought to myself after a few minutes 'this is actually alright'. Cullen suprised me. Just like the fella Mark, who I immediately felt had more to him than just the loudmouth (am sure he'll progress well from the shaky 1st task), I think a lot of people dismiss what he's saying just because of his accent. There's a very strong anti-Dublin sentiment throughout the country and even in Dublin itself people seem to automatically dismiss people with a Dub accent. In my eyes that's more of a poor reflection on the people that hold those sterotyped views, but anyways let's get back on topic....

...while it means it's less dramatic, I'm glad they didn't go down the Big Brother in the Boardroom route as done in the later UK series. There's actually what look like a few decent candidates in there - I doubt there's any real business genius in there but at least there's a few you'd say 'yeh, I could see that person doing a decent middle management job', which is more than you could say about the last UK series.

starn

lee_arama wrote: »

I'm waiting for the scandal to hit the papers over at least one of the girls...

No sooner was her mug up on the telly than herselfs phone starts ringing mad with all her gang doing the 'OMG! Look at yer wan on the telly!'

Apparently she did something very naughty a while back and got the boot over it.

Go on spill

DEMON 90

they all seem pretty average to me, would u want to eat an apple or an orange covered in hair in a busy barber shop, the real business persons are the business owners who bought fruit of them: you couldnt buy that advertising anywhere 4 a few apples... brilliant, well done grafton barber!!

estebancambias

it took you that long to make your first post?

cunning-doll

:eek:
Oh my god, hadn't seen this on TV at all but i used to work with David (the one who got fired first i think)
Does anyone know if they will repeat it or how i could watch it? He's such a character!
I've waited so long to turn on reality tv and see someone I know!

cunning-doll

cunning-doll wrote: »

Does anyone know if they will repeat it or how i could watch it?

DUH! my bad you can watch it here http://apprentice.tv3.ie/

Sorry :rolleyes:

Elmo

DUH! my bad you can watch it here http://apprentice.tv3.ie/

Indeed we are all going to have to get used to the fact that TV3 now make TV and have a catch up service on the web. Wow a long time coming. (Had to sorry!).

dudara

The catchup videos are handy. I'm working in Brussels at the moment, so I missed it. Can't wait to see how it came across.

Scootay

Did all the girls wear scarves when selling the fruit as a tribute to the chinny one from this year's BBC Apprentice?

AARRRGH

Bill Cullen was a bit of a plank, and tbh he isn't impressive enough. Someone like Dermot Desmond or even Thomas Crosbie would be a lot better.

The contestants are all the cheap suit salesman types, which is a bit disappointing. None of them impressed me, although I can tell the Mark fella is a fighter. One of the girls, the one who refers to men as "smelly" men, is definitely ****ed in the head, so I think she's going to provide a bit of entertainment.

Overall, I'd take it or leave it. It wasn't terrible though!

AARRRGH

starn wrote: »

I dnt think any of them are real bussiness men. I think being on this show wwould be a bit of a career killer. Id imagine everyone on it is just looking to launch a media carrer

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the public/employers view the contestants of the show after its over...

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Carbon copy of the UK version, form what I can see. And was it just me, or was every single one of them a clone...? They were all typically over-rated self-important.. and my God, can they say one sentence without a business-related cliche?

all the stars

NotInventedHere wrote: »

Bill Cullen looks like an absolute bastard. Time will tell.:D

met him in a work situatiuon, he's actually really friendly and regular as they get...

fletch

noobie wrote: »

Why are they carrying the type of luggage at the end you normally take to the airport?;)

Because the show is staged over a number of weeks so presumably they need a few weeks worth of clothes???

Sizzler

Little did I realise when I posted this !!!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56746592&postcount=139

Do I get a prize

Pigman II

Sizzler wrote: »

Little did I realise when I posted this !!!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56746592&postcount=139

Do I get a prize

Good call. Although I can't see the "week 3" idea getting off the ground as Cullen is clearly already using the worlds supply of "just for men" on his own barnet. How vain.

AARRRGH

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

can they say one sentence without a business-related cliche?

Well, they are sales people pretending to be business people...

Pigman II

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

can they say one sentence without a business-related cliche?

They are all clearly physical embodients of a walking/breathing cliche, as tho they were deliberately bred for this outcome. Why would the speak any differently?

BaZmO*

Wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, could've been a real car crash but wasn't.
Not that impressed with the contestants though, just seemed like kids with no business acumen, although the team leader of the girls team seemed like she knew what she was doing, or at the very least gave the impression she knew what she was doing.

The amount of ads was annoying but it's TV3 so was expecting it and sure I recorded it anyway so I just fast forwarded the ads.

I'm not sure if the Irish/Dublin familiarity is a good or a bad thing. On one hand it's good to see people and locations that you're familiar with but on the other it can be just so cringe worthy at times.

Also, Dr. Bill wasn't as bad as expected him to be, gave the lads a hard time in the boardroom (rightly so too) but got the impression he was holding back and could've really laid into them if he wanted. Think he likes the boy's team leader already but I think he's a bit of a plank tbh.

Sizzler

I had little expectations for the show and it didnt raise above them, in saying that I will probably still watch it purely because of the comedy value.

I am surprised to see such a good review in today's Indo though to be perfectly honest,

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/tv3rsquos-apprentice-off-to-a-winning-start-1480413.html?from=dailynews

Dempsey on Today FM was even singing its praises even though the general populous who texted in thought it was a pile of shoite!

First impressions are the general "calibre" of the candidates is poor at best, but sort of guessed that. To be fair there was a heap of muppets on the last UK series so its no surprise in such a small country the "cream" of applicants we saw last night was the best that we could come up with. This was summed up perfectly by the guy who was fired. The poor chap could barely string a sentance together, I mean WTF. Someone please tell me how he got that far

The two project managers, Joanna, very confident in her own ability and believes her own hype, the reality is shes a master at bull**** bingo and if she does well its because she will be able to talk the talk. The guy Mark, total wide boy who would have been well used to selling in the style that was asked of him! He'll be found out in the weeks ahead when he's asked to do something that that requires a shred of intelligence.

I know its easy to take shots at it but for me the show falls down with Cullen at the helm, pure farce. Would not be surprised in the slightest if he is getting fed questions George Bush style into his ear. Hard to take anything he says seriously. Yes he has made money, well done Bill but for me he is a joke to be represented as the pinnacle of Irish entrepreneurship. Everything he said seemed scripted and alien to him and already hes banging on about "When I was a child me old ma said to me..." Who gives a f**k ! The two eejits he's flanked by just add further comedy to proceedings. His wife has had more work done to her than a refurbished 1979 Ford Cortina and his previous "apprentice" Brian Purcell, a mute who frankly has no personaility and again is hard to take seriously in any shape or form. As for the "seed capital" jargon, FFS !

The format is tried and tested and wins fans the world over, whatever TV3 did I am sure they would have been knocked but installing Cullen with his wife and some random goon has really sold it down the river and for me thats where it fell down before the show even started, last night merely confirmed that for me.

Solarball10

Really enjoyed this! Who is the fella that was up for eviction along with Mark and David? Sneaky little snake in the grass! Bill pulled him up on something and he was like, "Well, I wasn't the project manager...." Oooh, get him! He also kept going on and on and ON about that 100euro deal he pulled off...it was his defence to everything! Don't like him....

But poor lil David did deserve to get the boot...that poor pet isn't cut out for the cruel business world at all, bless him....:) I did feel sorry for him though, Mark was just there practically roaring at him just to look like the big man in front of Bill...

Thought it was really cringey.

Full of the cocky know-all sales people that you see all over the country, pretending to a character just to get a bit of extra commission.

It felt really planned and scripted. The amount of times the guy selling to the Grafton Barber actually said "Grafton Barber" was ridiculous....at one stage he was talking to them on the phone and said something like "Hi is that the Grafton Barber. Would you like some fruit for your shop...The Grafton Barber. It would be great for The Grafton Barber..." All he was short of doing was grinning into the camera with his thumbs up.

Product placement and advertising for lots of other businesses (Carphone Warehouse, Break for the Border, Buckleys) lead me to believe that a production assistant may have done more selling than any of them...offering a shot of the store name in exchange for handing over some cash and looking gormless whilst haggling for fruit.

The randomly trading around Dublin without a permit was ridiculous. The fact that one of these places was Pearse St Garda Station makes me think maybe they weren't actually selling.

The final point that makes me doubt its credentials is the fact that the project leader wasn't fired. Seriously if you close up shop two hours early because you did 'enough' there isn't a boss in the world who wouldn't fire you. The other guy may have been gormless, but there was only one person responsible for losing that task.

bamboozle

'fifteen euro better dan de boyz'

enjoyed it, thought the guy Mark in charge will do well cause he's a chip off cullen's block,
thought the leader of the girls will drive folk mad plus she kept throwing her eyes up to heaven when she spoke.

slight attempt at a mini mutiny in the girls camp when one of the girls in the board room spoke out giving out that they were too late to moore street to get the better spot to sell from.

Tigger

Sizzler wrote: »

Little did I realise when I posted this !!!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56746592&postcount=139

Do I get a prize

nice

BaZmO*

jayhaitch2 wrote: »

The final point that makes me doubt its credentials is the fact that the project leader wasn't fired. Seriously if you close up shop two hours early because you did 'enough' there isn't a boss in the world who wouldn't fire you. The other guy may have been gormless, but there was only one person responsible for losing that task.

Yeah I agree 100%
His excuse for finishing up early was that he didn't want to be late back but there's no Boss in the world that would be mad at you for being late back to a meeting because you stayed to make him more money. I could probably understand his reasoning if he only had a half an hour left but he finished up about 3 hours too early and as a result was was 100% at fault for the task failing.

I think the only reason why he wasn't fired is because Bill likes his wideboy/geezer/salt of the earth persona.

jayhaitch2 wrote: »

The randomly trading around Dublin without a permit was ridiculous. The fact that one of these places was Pearse St Garda Station makes me think maybe they weren't actually selling.

Whoever came up with the idea to sell the fruit outside of a Garda Station should've been fired on the spot. It really beggars belief that someone could be so thick.

mkdon05

My definite favourite was the receptionist sitting in a glorified empty warehouse to answer 2 phonecalls a day. Then to add a little suspense to it all, adding a pause before saying the contestants coulds enter the boardroom. Cringeville!

I did however think the rest of the show wasnt too bad, apart from "Me old Ma uset ta shove me down forra nudder box of apples"

VERYinterested

I enjoyed it despite thinking the following:

Very incestuous casting, Cullen's Mot Jackie and her Nephew. Neither Jackie or her Nephew brought anything to the party, he stood there like a gormless idiot and she bitchily dissed the planks for not illegally trading in the Ilac, yet Bill said he didn't like the idea of them stealing the bottle of bubbly, nothing was said about the fruit stolen from the house. Make up your minds lads over which laws it's ok to break!

Obviously each business approached in it agrees to be ripped off for the sake of cheap advertising. But this is going to go too far, did you hear Bill mention the name of the Restaurant almost down to their post code, where the oompa loompas had their 'slap up' meal on winning the task?

But all in all, I watched it right to the end, which is saying something as I didn't give it much hope.

faceman

What truly awful television.

Cullen is about as charasmatic as a plank. He brought no soul to the event. Everytime he brought up about what his and "his ma" used to do when he was "their age" made me want to throw the tv out the window! (Dont forget bill, we also used to send kids up chimneys to clean them in your day but we dont do that anymore do we?)

The contestants, where did they find them? Most of them i wouldnt hire as juniors for my company! Especially the bloke who was the "project manager" (lol) for the boys team, he had some attitude problem! Many of the girls were saying early on how they would win because girls are better than boys??!!! WTF?

The girls wont by €15 yet we saw very little footage of their activities nor were they given any feedback on their performance. That made no sense!

The receptionist ushering them into the "board room". WTF? She answers the phone and then says down the receiver "thank you" before ushering in the teams? I had to clean the seat after that one.

Anyway, i wont be watching it from here on.

Its just disappointing that we are given dumb television and because the standards are so poor on home grown tv some people decide that its ok to like it!

DublinWriter

Sizzler wrote: »

Yes he has made money, well done Bill but for me he is a joke to be represented as the pinnacle of Irish entrepreneurship.

True. Basically Cullen secured the Irish Distrubutorship of Ford in the early 70's, then moved away from Ford and secured the Distrubtorship of Renault in the early 90's. The end.

Big whoop.

Both deals gave him the sole and exclusive rights to sell those products in this country. Tell me how you couldn't turn a profit in that scenario?

A Richard Branson, or even Michael O'Leary he certainly is not. There are 100's of people in business in this country wealthier and more successful than him, the only difference being is that they're not publicity seeking egophiles.

LovetohateTV

jayhaitch2 wrote: »

Thought it was really cringey.

Full of the cocky know-all sales people that you see all over the country, pretending to a character just to get a bit of extra commission.

It felt really planned and scripted. The amount of times the guy selling to the Grafton Barber actually said "Grafton Barber" was ridiculous....at one stage he was talking to them on the phone and said something like "Hi is that the Grafton Barber. Would you like some fruit for your shop...The Grafton Barber. It would be great for The Grafton Barber..." All he was short of doing was grinning into the camera with his thumbs up.

Product placement and advertising for lots of other businesses (Carphone Warehouse, Break for the Border, Buckleys) lead me to believe that a production assistant may have done more selling than any of them...offering a shot of the store name in exchange for handing over some cash and looking gormless whilst haggling for fruit.

The randomly trading around Dublin without a permit was ridiculous. The fact that one of these places was Pearse St Garda Station makes me think maybe they weren't actually selling.

The final point that makes me doubt its credentials is the fact that the project leader wasn't fired. Seriously if you close up shop two hours early because you did 'enough' there isn't a boss in the world who wouldn't fire you. The other guy may have been gormless, but there was only one person responsible for losing that task.

You are 100 % correct in what your saying regarding the product placement. Its a very Irish thing "ill scratch your back" and "its not what you its who you know"...to be honest its so obvious its making the show look a tad cheap.

calex71

ah the dirt is comming out already

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/apprentice-tv-star-hit-man-in-front-of-wife-1480823.html

A STAR of TV3's The Apprentice has been accused in court of assaulting a young couple outside a restaurant.

Account manager Shane Davey (29) - who has been tipped to win the series - is alleged to have punched David Ryan in the face and pushed Mrs Joyce Ryan to the ground.

Mr Davey strongly denies the allegations, claiming Mr Ryan was roaring abuse at him and his friends and threatening to “break every bone” in their bodies. The UCD graduate made his debut along with 13 other contestants last night in the first episode of The Apprentice.

He was in a team of seven men who lost the first challenge set for them by businessman Bill Cullen.

Speaking at his Leopardstown home this morning, Mr Davey said he could not comment on the court case because it was ongoing.


Aware

However, he confirmed that The Apprentice producers are aware of the case and the charges against him.

“I really cannot comment on the case at the moment. It is sub judice and I could be up for contempt if I make any comment, but it is up again in December so if you want to come back after that then maybe I can say something,” Mr Davey said today.

Asked if the producers are fully aware of the charges against Davey, the account manager said they knew of the case.

“Yeah, they know about it all right but that's all I can say really,” he said.

Wearing a dark business suit, white shirt and gold tie, the well-groomed Apprentice hopeful looked ready for another day at the office.

It was alleged in court that he injured Mr Ryan just above his right eye in an incident outside Baan Thai Restaurant in Leopardstown on February 2 last year.

Mr Davey, of Glencairn Lawn, The Gallops, Leopardstown, told Dun Laoghaire District Court he told Mr Ryan to calm down at least “seven or eight times”.

But the alleged injured party kept shouting, calling him a “fat b*****d” and swinging punches at him, he said.

Mr Davey then told Ms Ryan to “go back in and bleach your hair”.

He admitted he hit Mr Ryan but said it was in self-defence.

Mr Ryan said he was out for a meal with friends in Baan Thai when he looked out the window and saw a man urinating on his father's jeep.

His father had died three weeks before the incident and the jeep had just been valeted, Mr Ryan said. He told the court he had a “heated exchange of views” with the man who urinated on the jeep.

Mr Ryan said he was then surrounded by two other men, one of whom was Davey, and there was another “exchange of views”.

At this stage, Mrs Ryan came out of the restaurant.

Mr Ryan said he turned around for some reason and when he turned back his wife was on the ground. He claimed he was then hit and he fell to the ground “shocked”.

The court heard the three men then left the scene.


Famous

The case was adjourned to hear further evidence from Mrs Ryan and from the defence.

Speaking about himself as part of promotional work for The Apprentice, Mr Davey said: “I don't think The Apprentice will make me famous. No one will recognise me in six months.”

His team lost a fruit-selling challenge to the female contestants but he escaped the chop as contestant David Neary was fired from the show.

Speedy007

Unlike RTE, TV3 don't get all our licence fees so ads and product placement are part and parcel, if you don't like then flick over when the ads come on or sky+ and watch without the ads. Otherwise accept it and stop complaining.

Overall, I thought the apprentice was really well done and I am looking forward to seeing it progress in the coming weeks.

Sizzler

calex71 wrote: »

ah the dirt is comming out already

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/apprentice-tv-star-hit-man-in-front-of-wife-1480823.html

Classy!

GeorgeCostanza

LoanShark wrote: »

The Project Leader for the Lads comes across as a pit of an arrogant tool..

I had to laugh about the story he told about his father telling him not to go to college; that he would learn more in the 'real world'. The guy works in a scrap yard as far as I can make out. It's been a long time since I heard any of this "university of life, school of hard knocks" b*ll*xology. He was a complete knob.

uRbaN

I wasn't aware this was even on until mrs urban switched it over.

Have to say, as a Sales guy I found it very cringeworthy. Fair enough the presence of a camera would knock most people out of their usual stride but the nervous energy and jostling for position was tough on the brain.

Both Project Leaders would have been suitable in a Dublin Special version of The Office.

The naming of both teams was where I made up my mind that I would not like the show....a choice of Dynamo or Dragons for the blokes ....ROFL...and the girls, Phoenix? Bills remark "you haven't given yoursleves much of a chance" was very apt I felt.
Plus the fact that Phoenix was a name used in one of the tasks in the UK version in series gone by makes me believe that many of the contestants havbe roadmapped their potential success based on what was successful on other shows.

If everyone calmed down and tried to be themselves it would have been more enjoyable, rather than displaying ruthless cut throat business acumen by selling apples from the kitchen table....lmfao

giftgrub

Couple of things from me
1: Went in with a bit of a sneer,but its not as bad as i expected.
2: Does everyone always have to work as a sales rep? I'm feeling like i'm the only person who doesnt flog stuff for a living.
3: Jackie Lavin, she cant move her face from her mouth upwards
4: The moore street thing? Please...
5: Why did the irish people look grey, pasty and sweaty in the boardroom?
6:yer man, the team leader, he could have fixed his shirt and tie, had he been in a fight? and "architectural salvage"? Thats known as "scrap metal" where i come from
7 : I remember at the launch of this hearing Dr Bill on de radio, he said he wouldnt use the term "You're fired" said we dont use it here in ireland, was going for something along the lines of "You're Barney Bracked". Did the US owners of the format put the foot down?

Will i watch again? Probably...

Elmo

5: Why did the irish people look grey, pasty and sweaty in the boardroom?

They all had the flu IMO they spent the day before in the rain.

I will be in and out of the show myself, I was never a person who had to see an episode of the British Version. But it is a good show.

podge018

The boardroom was the same day as the task, they were probably all wet and cold.

If they had influenza they wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

Elmo

boardroom was the same day as the task, they were probably all wet and cold.

If they had influenza they wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

Perhaps not the flu but they all looked a bit ill.

Also this is a thing that bugs me about The Apprentice (each version) why to they only have a day to complete tasks, what do they do for the rest of the week?

They shouldn't bring them straight in to the board room espically if they are sick.

Do they just pretend to film it over 12 weeks when the actually only film over 2 weeks or so?

engrish?

Elmo wrote: »

Perhaps not the flu but they all looked a bit ill.

Also this is a thing that bugs me about The Apprentice (each version) why to they only have a day to complete tasks, what do they do for the rest of the week?

They shouldn't bring them straight in to the board room espically if they are sick.

Do they just pretend to film it over 12 weeks when the actually only film over 2 weeks or so?

I was wondering this myself, sure they live in the house together and are not allowed contact with the outside world?

AARRRGH

Elmo wrote: »

Do they just pretend to film it over 12 weeks when the actually only film over 2 weeks or so?

I would think so, yes.

jackal

A pleasant surprise. Only caught the second half, but enjoyed it. Bill Cullen was much better in the boardroom than I expected. Nothing wrong with the way he talks FFS, you don't hear people slagging Alan Sugar off just for being a cockney. He also seems sharp in the boardroom, and I got the impression he was holding back.. for now. Next week I reckon his right hand man will walk around behind the contestants with a baseball bat as the finale approaches, bludgoning them into a messy pile of blood and brains upon the famous lines of severance of employment being uttered.

Contestants are meh so far, but I await proof for my pet theory about Irish business women being among the nastiest species on earth when things don't go their way. I reckon the first week they fail a task it will descend into a complete bitch fest. Hope they keep the teams as they are for the time being.

Even though they only lost by 15, they could have won it so easily. Pure laziness at the end there by the lads. David was an obvious target, but it was the project manager that was happy to finish early. A bit like Sugar, I think Cullen has his favorites.

BaZmO*

Elmo wrote: »

They shouldn't bring them straight in to the board room espically if they are sick.

Why do you keep saying they were sick? They weren't sick they were just tired and dishevelled from being out in the rain all day. It certainly wasn't flu.

Elmo wrote: »

Also this is a thing that bugs me about The Apprentice (each version) why to they only have a day to complete tasks, what do they do for the rest of the week?

Do they just pretend to film it over 12 weeks when the actually only film over 2 weeks or so?

A lot of the tasks in the English one are done over two days. And yes they do pretend to film over 12 weeks. I think they normally do 3 tasks in a week and get to go home at the weekends AFAIK.

Utopia Parkway

GeorgeCostanza wrote: »

I had to laugh about the story he told about his father telling him not to go to college; that he would learn more in the 'real world'. The guy works in a scrap yard as far as I can make out. It's been a long time since I heard any of this "university of life, school of hard knocks" b*ll*xology. He was a complete knob.

I think that is why Dr Bill saved him. He liked his whole salt of the earth working-class Dub sthick even though he packed in the task with 3 hours still to go.

Thought the editing gave the game away a little as well. When they twice showed that David chap wandering the streets with a box of fruit in his arms looking lost I immediately thought why would they be showing that unless he was getting the chop? It was like them saying "look how useless this fella is"?

Cactus Col

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Thought the editing gave the game away a little as well. When they twice showed that David chap wandering the streets with a box of fruit in his arms looking lost I immediately thought why would they be showing that unless he was getting the chop? It was like them saying "look how useless this fella is"?

Yeah ... but I got a feeling they were going for the double bluff there ..... look how crap this guy is .... and then after the board room you're left slapping your head going "oh my goodness! they kept the crap guy!"

Scootay

faceman wrote: »

The girls wont by €15 yet we saw very little footage of their activities nor were they given any feedback on their performance. That made no sense!

The receptionist ushering them into the "board room". WTF? She answers the phone and then says down the receiver "thank you" before ushering in the teams?

Have you seen the UK or US versions? The winning team don't get feedback and the receptionist never does anything other than take a call from the "boardroom" telling her to send the teams back in.

I approached it with my sarcasm at the ready but was pleasantly surprised and will watch again. Fair play TV3.