The Apprentice UK 2023

Exclamation Marc

Another nonsensical firing. How the PM wasn't the one "responsible" for failing (again) is beyond me.

Thank god next week is the finding items task, might inject some life into this series.

Utopia Parkway

3 weeks in a row the losing PM has survived.

Trampas

I thought he was in trouble when it was made clear he did nothing but pm should be pulled up for letting him do nothing

Man Vs ManUre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120134158#Comment_120134158

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120132355#Comment_120132355

He’ll be ok. If recent trends continue, he will be the pick to go on the next season of E4’s celebrity goes dating. Either him or the James Bond lad.

Atlantic Dawn

Poor enough episode.

My favourite task is next week, get 9 items and have the the most money left at the end of the task to win, fully measurable, everyone has equal resources and means to procure the goods, it's all about planning and negotiation.

salmocab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120135945#Comment_120135945

Although hadn’t there been a few questionable winners over the years where working out what the value of missed items takes away from what they have left? Agree though it’s generally one of the better tasks. It’s usually very clear who did well who didn’t and who did nothing though.

GAAcailin

Deffo my favourite episode (the scavenger hunt); they haven’t done it over the last few years. Bet there are a few of those dopes that can’t read a map!

was a bit sorry to see Greg go, he was a little different and more his own person then the other wannabes; he did contribute nothing tho.

mewso

Feeling old hearing them ask what 45 means.

yerwanthere123

This week's 'treat' for the winning team has got to be the worst I've ever seen 😲 And they're seemingly not even allowed change clothes, must go straight from the boardroom as all still wearing their suits.

Atlantic Dawn

Not knowing how to read maps, jaysus, what's different to using Google Maps, do they need directions spoon fed to them step by step by Mrs Google in the headphones?

Started watching last season and enjoyed it. I have a big problem with the format though. For regular episodes they take on the tasks but for the 'final' they present a business idea. Its like a talent show where people are judged on singing cover versions but for the final sing their own songs. Makes no sense.

sonofenoch

Caf-E racer was a pretty good and original premise ...

Yer wan comes up with Zip Zap....zip along in a zap 😆

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120194118#Comment_120194118

That Zip Zap logo.

yerwanthere123

Delighted Shazia is finally gone, seems like all she does is moan every time she's on screen.

everlast75

"From Generation Z, to Generation E" might have been a better tag line....

AyeGer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120194439#Comment_120194439

That she went through a degree in marketing and came up with that rubbish is really damning. She definitely had to go.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120194702#Comment_120194702

She seemed like an absolute nightmare to work with too.

Atlantic Dawn

Such a terrible performance from both teams this week. Surely the quietness, range, running costs and reliability of the e-motorbike were what a campaign should target. On the bike itself why you would design it with a petrol tank shape when it's electric is beyond me, you have free reign to do whatever you want once there's space for the battery and you foolishly go backwards in shaping it like a ICE bike.

I'm liking the international locations for this series though.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120194941#Comment_120194941

Tonights episode Lord Sugar had to pik the least sh!t campaign.

That said, the format of the show itself is setting teams up for failure. For example, they get feedback, after they have finished the design and then go straight into the pitches. No time to change things, after the feedback.

As for the bike design itself, I really liked it.

Niall_76

I’d like if sometimes sugar would say the winning team isn’t getting the prize. Too often you have a bunch of incompetents celebrating being great when in reality it would be difficult to be worse yhss as n the losers

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120197458#Comment_120197458

Pretty sure this has happened before, can someone with a better memory than me recall?

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120197506#Comment_120197506

There was the advertising Task (ep 2) in 2016 where he declared neither team had won.

The Apprentice (British series 12) - Wikipedia

There was also a sales task some year where neither team made a sale, but I can't quite place that one.

**********

I suspect he considered it last night, but the prize had a hint of convenient Product Placement off it, so maybe he was contractually obliged.

Mantis Toboggan

Lucky fcuks are getting a trip to Dubai, just back from the Caribbean too, sign me up for next season!

voldejoie

My jaw dropped at that 60% refund.

Didn't think he made the right call in the boardroom though, I think the only actual firing I've had no reservations about this season was Shazia last week!

Looking forward to next week, any of the tasks around children tend to produce some really cringy results...

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222053#Comment_120222053

Not entirely sure how your ability to prepare food when it's not within your skill set is relevant to being chosen as an apprentice.

I also don't think that telling folk they have limits on their drink is worse than letting them drink and then telling them.

The greater fault was only giving them 3 drinks after them being out in the desert all day.

ArmaniJeanss

I'm paying such little attention to this series that I didn't even notice the non-appearance of Reece until Siucre said it in the boardroom. Seems to be conflicting reports with the man himself putting it down to a health issue and the Daily Mail suggesting he broke a no-alcohol rule on the flight over.

I thought the two corporate clients had the best lines, the leader of the company who brought to the desert was a bit smarmy but made some fun observations.

Of the remaining 10 candidates, I could still only reliably name Simba and Avi. The rest are still a blur to me.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222307#Comment_120222307

Same, I didn't notice Reece was gone until it was brought up in the boardroom. Agree with you also about the names, I still couldn't tell you the majority.

Think Dani should've gone, don't see how the blame could reasonably be attached to Joe in any way. I've barely agreed with any of the firing decisions this year.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222360#Comment_120222360

I'm fairness, Joe's decision to tell the clients that their water was limited likely riled them up to no end and contributed to the size of the refund. Don't forget that they were without any drinks for a notable period before being advised of their limits.

No matter how bad an experience they were having, the rationale to tell them it was limited (when they had the ability to get more at a cost) was braindead.

Dani had a huge part to blame too mind and I'd say had Reece not departed, she'd have been fired as well.

everlast75

Which is the poorer decision?

Choosing to scrimp and only get 3 drinks for people who have been in a desert, or telling them it?

That said, the most glaring of reasons why he should have went was.... That's what he does for a living? How come no one mentioned that?

AyeGer

I think the issue was skimping on water, how much can water cost. It was crazy to shrimp on that. It was especially bad when they promised a luxury experience but seemingly couldn’t provide adequate supply of water.

Galwayguy35

Has there ever been a bigger crowd of morons on it?

Not one of them are standing out so far as someone who looks like they deserve to win it.

GAAcailin

Was sorry to see Joe going, not that he didn’t deserve it etc but he was one of the more normal of the lot of them..

such a pack of wasters

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120226244#Comment_120226244

Even this weeks result was a case of who was the least awful and has the been the theme a couple of weeks.

They're dreadful.

Will_I_Amnt

Have to say, even as the OP, I nearly fell asleep watching last weeks episode. Think I might swerve the rest of it. Bored ain't the word!

voldejoie

They were BRUTAL this week. The winning team just didn't lose quite as bad as the losers!

AyeGer

The team leader just had to go tonight, he was terrible.

Trampas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120250864#Comment_120250864

Also the orders they got could be easily sold to 3-4 year olds.

Does anyone know if they actually get the orders or is it just made up?

Xander10

Bradley lucky he didn't send him packing as well. Product Designer..FMOB

AyeGer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120250941#Comment_120250941

Hell be gone next week imo if he is on the losing team.

Exclamation Marc

It's crazy just how bad the teams are this year. Both teams are brutal nearly every week and I find myself trying to predict every week which product/performance is the less awful of the two rather than what's actually good.

I know it's entertainment but for a show based on finding the 'best business partner', there have been barely any performances that have been better than average, and nobody so far looks like a competent business partner.

Every week the preview for the week after is Lord Sugar commenting on how bad the performance was. Says an awful lot.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120250936#Comment_120250936

It's generally made up. The on-street stuff where they sell to consumers is real (and the profits go to charity) but the pitches like today are not fulfilled.

mewso

Would love to know what Tim thinks the correct answer is to the question "How many children wanted to buy the product?".

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120252496#Comment_120252496

"100% of the children who liked the product, would buy the product". 😂

everlast75

to be fair, the programmes are heavily, heavily edited.

I am certain that playing two vocal recordings at the same time gives the impression of someone talking over someone else. Combine that with Tim making a face and it's enough to make you think they are a bunch of idiots.

Watch what happens in the final. All of a sudden, candidates are presented as competent and there are no more funny expressions or contradictions. Instead there will be nods of approval and words of encouragement.

That's not to say there aren't crap candidates. There definitely are! The team captain deserved to go last night.

I had called it that he would, the builder lad would be given out to and warned to buck up and it was spot on. I had thought that Swindells would be warned to be a team player, but that didn't happened.

My money is on Simba or Victoria. Both quietly competent and savvy IMHO.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222705#Comment_120222705

I know it was dubai but surely going into a supermarket and getting a couple crates of bottled water is a no brainer when you're going to spend 4 hours in the desert?!?

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120255073#Comment_120255073

In fairness they almost certainly couldn't just 'go into a supermarket' because it's not a 'negotiate with high-street retailers' task. And even then they have to seek permission from the shop-owner to go in and film as every step must be recorded. This task and similar tasks would be far easier (and dare I say realistic) if you could just send person A into Dubai Tesco to pick up a crate of water & fruit juices whilst person B goes into Dubai Marks & Spencer and gets £200 worth of decent barbeque food and deserts. I guess from the producers viewpoint that would mean too much happening off-screen and also less going wrong with the task.

In this task there was probably just one over-priced list that they could purchase from. But obviously they should have bought more water from it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120257452#Comment_120257452

I take your point.

However at some point one of them decided that 2 glasses of water and one of juice was enough for their luxury corporate away day. A 60 percent discont? They were lucky the client did want a full refund.

voldejoie

Absolutely brutal performance this week, but the right person was fired and I'm glad he was told who to bring back into the boardroom, even if it worked out that he was fired in the end it would have been a joke to bring back Megan or Simba!

yerwanthere123

Yeah Mark obviously had to go but I think a double firing would've easily been warranted this week, was really hoping he'd get rid of Dani too.

That episode was cringe, but I actually think it was the best of the series so far, very enjoyable.

AlmightyCushion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281644#Comment_120281644

Is there even enough people left for a double firing? Two people of their own accord and usually there is only one or two double firings a season.