The Apprentice, BBC One, review: the interview round remains gleefully brutal
If you found one job interview nerve-wracking, how about having four one after the other? And to make things worse, each interviewer is determined to find flaws in your resume. To top it off, the whole ordeal is being recorded on camera, magnifying every mistake or sign of stress.
Greetings to The Apprentice (BBC One) interview segment – the portion that contestants fear but viewers enjoy. In the second to last episode of the season, the last five contestants were called to a tall building in east London to be interrogated by Lord Sugar's "dependable consultants."
It was quite entertaining to watch the gatherings that followed. The TV show had that feeling of taking pleasure in others' misfortunes. Linda Plant, who is an experienced fashion expert, gave harsh criticisms on their unrealistic business proposals. Meanwhile, Claudine Collins, who is a famous media personality, acted as the kinder authority figure and used personal stories to provoke emotional reactions.
Mike Soutar, a pioneer in the publishing industry, was known for being extremely diligent in his research. He was quick to jump on claims that lacked evidence and he'd secure domain names that were not protected. Claude Littner, who could be compared to a pitbull in terms of his tenacity, was the master of financial analysis. He was not one to accept projections that seemed absurd, insufficient or just plain crazy. It's safe to say that Claude is very set in his ways, and that's unlikely to change any time soon.
Although the business competition is on its 18th series, it seems to have become worn out and outdated. It is highly likely that there will be major changes soon, with Sugar retiring and an overhaul of the show. However, the interview round remains a crucial and exciting part of the competition amidst all the noise, boasting, bossing, and betrayals that have occurred in the boardroom during the past 10 weeks. This round is much calmer and more engaging as it is purely focused on the words spoken by the contestants, rather than physical action.
The competition had an exciting and dramatic finish, with Phil Turner, who makes pies, and Rachel Woolford, the owner of a fitness studio, advancing to the final round. It's a clash of pies versus gyms, with pies representing an indulgent treat that can lead to weight gain, and gyms offering a solution to excess flab. Woolford appears to have the upper hand, and if she wins, she will be the fifth consecutive female winner of the competition. Women are proving to be a force to be reckoned with, and it may be time for one of them to take over from the current boardroom boss, Lord Sugar, who seems to be exhausted.
