Lord Sugar fires another 'Apprentice'

[dutchman]

Ex-Royal Marine commando Christopher Farrell became the eighth Apprentice candidate fired by Lord Alan Sugar this evening.



Despite it being Farrell's first time in a boardroom final three, the 28-year-old failed to persuade Sugar that he was the right man to work for his company.

Earlier in the show, Farrell had been part of a Chris Bates-led Team Synergy, who lost out in a crisp flavour sales task which was based in Germany.

Synergy only racked up €17,995 (£15,238) of sales compared to Stella English's Team Apollo, who earned €19,327 (£16,366). English, Joanna Riley, Stuart Baggs and Laura Moore were rewarded with a glitzy shopping trip around Mayfair for their efforts in the task.

Project manager Bates appeared deflated in the boardroom and seemed unsure whether he could survive another battle with Sugar, having been on the losing team for the sixth time.

However, when it came down to finding out who was to blame for the task, Sugar challenged Farrell and Jamie Lester for putting off a client appointment until 1pm, which they ended up losing to their rivals, who snapped up an earlier meeting.

Karren Brady also criticised the boys' sales technique on the task, commenting: "You did try hard, so hard in fact that you annoyed the guy. You upset him, he found you quite unprofessional. I think he could smell your desperation."

Delivering his final verdict, Sugar said: "Jamie, I don't think on this task you were very well organised and you can talk until you're blue in the face but you're not going to convince me of that either.

"Chris, what can I say about someone who has been on a losing team so many times? I'm not sure whether I can risk it anymore.

"However, Christopher, you do work hard, there's no question of that. My concern is that you perhaps don't have that spark of entrepreneurial genius that I'm looking for. You're not for my organisation so - you're fired!"

Speaking afterwards, a deflated Farrell said: "[I'm] absolutely gutted to have gone. I think I could have got a lot further but it's something which I’m going to have to deal with, learn from and overcome."

The Apprentice continues next Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.