The Apprentice: Katie caught out

So, the rumours about Katie Hopkins gameplaying by using the show for publicity were true, how she could go away for a 15-week competition without thinking through her childcare requirements if she should win is unbelievable. She clearly had no intention of taking the job.

Being 50% right ain't bad as Kristina Grimes got through but Lohit Kalburgi was too nice.

The Apprentice: JJB - Jadine Johnson Begone

In tonight's The Apprentice, Jadine Johnson was fired for missing her daughter and going AWOL for a couple of hours. I thought that was a harsh decision especially as Simon Ambrose, the PM, gave Lohit Kalburgi a poor list of leads to phone for appointments. Many of the numbers were wrong or were for garden centres. He also chose badly, with the electric shock torture device / air filter being hard to sell.

Jadine joins Ifti Chaudri as the 2nd ethnic minority candidate to go because their missed their children. What does it say about ethnic minorities and their devotion to their kids versus the relentless devotion to business that Alan Sugar is looking for.

She looked a more relaxed & beautiful in "You've been fired" as did Adam Hosker, last week, on BBC2 after the main event. You can see how the fired candidates are exhausted & stressed during the challenges. Perhaps being fired and getting away from the pressure is what they needed & wanted.

On the BBC website, both Katie Hopkins & Kristina Grimes are both described as single mothers. Is this going to be an issue that eliminates them? Interestingly, the men who are left are not listed as single or married fathers.

On "You've been fired", there was speculation that Katie is trying to be The Apprentice but her contreversial remarks to camera are a launchpad for a media career. With her being so quotable, she looks set for comfy sofa chats, glossy magazine interviews and perhaps her own tabloid column or cable TV programme, followed by a 6 figure book deal.

The Apprentice: Ghazal's gone

After being on the losing team in last week's The Apprentice, when Adam Hosker got fired, Ghazal Asif volunteered to be PM and got her wish this week. Alas, she came a cropper when she didn't use her brand & advertising gurus, Katie Hopkins & Naomi Lay, effectively. Her team failed to promote a brand and get over the message that they were selling trainers.

Up till this week, their were 4 ethnic minority candidates out of 8, Ghazal Asif, Tre Azam, Jadine Johnson & Lohit Kalburgi. This 50% contingent is far higher than previous series and is much higher than the proportion in the country. I wonder if the BBC went very-PC & OTT in getting so many on the shortlist, not forgetting Ifti Chaudri, of course.

The Apprentice: Wood's Woe

In week 5 of The Apprentice, last week's liar, Nathalie Wood, came a cropper and got her just deserts. This week's task was to pick and sell as many photographs from 2 photographers.

Justice was done and she also deserved to be fired for being a weak project manager and a week defender in the boardroom. She chose to keep her new best friend, Katie Hopkins, out of harm's way and was forced instead, to bring in Lohit Kalburgi with the weak excuse that he had produced some labels that their photographer did not like. This is somewhat ironic as she was criticised for her wrong labels last week.

Justice was finally done, albeit a week late.

Also this week, alleged "energy sapper", Adam Hosker, got the most valuable sale and was on the phone to bringing in art fans to the team's private viewing. Although he can be negative in an un-constructive way, i think he is right more often than he is wrong and I feel empathy to his way of thinking.