On the same day that Samsung revealed its plans for a new battery that wraps around your wrist, potentially making wearable technology much more wearable, the contestants of the Apprentice designed a jumper with a camera and an LED on the front, and a jacket with solar panels for shoulder pads and lapels that light up like a Christmas tree – for those special occasions. The result was a very disappointed Lord Sugar giving the boot to two pieces of “deadwood”.
Scottish clinical development strategist, Scott McCulloch, and luxury fashion designer and full-time lurch, Robert Goodwin were both fired; Goodwin went before he even had a chance to sit down for a cuppa in that dingy cafe. Despite a very clear prompt from Lord Sugar to lead the team, he “bottled out”. McCulloch took up the mantle instead but with his tantrums and lack of leadership he wasn’t impressing anybody and so became the third male contestant to go in just two days.
It could have just as easily been brag baron Daniel Lassman. In attempting to sell the camera jumper, the self-described “selling machine” actually said in a pitch to a retailer: “You wouldn’t go in a public place in it”. He was right though, and as Sugar so nicely put it: “I think even the shoplifters would bring it back.”
The girls have now been victorious on both nights, but neither win was convincing. They won the first task by selling their t-shirts at a massive loss, and their solar jacket/phone charger tried to please too many people and ended up pleasing no one. They are ahead not because of their talent, but because of Summit’s seeming lack of it.
Other developments in last night’s episode:
- ‘Team Decadence’ is now ‘Team Tenacity’
- Karren Brady said “arse”
- The girls got a go on a jet pack
With the teams now uneven – ten girls, seven boys – next week will see some mixing, and with some of the deadwood gone maybe we’ll get to see some actual business flair. Until then! 
