I would include Kate in that.

I wouldn't. In the past she has been the only one to pipe up when asked for positive things about team leaders and when she is negative she always comes across fair. What she said about Phil wasn't nasty and was a fair comment. This week; she didn't have to be nice about Lorraine after the other week, but gave a fair assessment. When Paula was up for the chop; SAS asked who's idea the packaging was and she piped up Paula, even when Ben tried to take credit. I think she's ambitious and certainly don't think she is as nicey, nice as James, but I wouldn't put Kate in the category of selling her own granny. I think she's generally quite upfront about her feelings, just that she is upfront surrounding business skills, but keeps her personal thoughts more to herself.

James isn't strong, but he's not weak. Anybody would like to work with him- real work is more of a team effort than Apprentice team work.

I think James lacks confidence; he has achieved a lot, but he doesn't have what seems to be the natural charisma (or looks) that some of the others have (for example, Howard has a dancing background = physically confident whereas James is awkward/easily flustered).

It's a tricky situation to be in. Lorraine is similar, but she over-compensates and ends up irritating people and making highly revealing comments about "Kate's beauty" etc. She was right about Phil & Kate, but comments like that also revealed her own insecurity.

I actually think he's a lovely looking man, I find him very aesthetically pleasing - and I don't say that about everybody, I work(ed) in the fashion industry and am over-analytical and snobby as fu*k as regards the pros and cons of people's mugs. His eyes and jawline are perfect - it's his manner that lets him down on a superficial front. It can be endearing on a personal level but it can also translate as being a little off-putting and I'll admit I can see it might not instill the greatest confidence in somebody looking to employ him in a managerial position. He's also somewhat like a small boy in his vocal intonation (a la Sophocles) which again doesn't help and isn't a hugely attractive trait.

I agree re: Lorraine though. She doesn't help herself physically by ceaselessly showing up looking unkempt and making dour remarks about Kate's prettiness. Very telling.

How incredibly insulting to anyone working in the Public Sector (myself included).

Not that you deserve an explaination for that narrowminded assumption, but I have worked in both the private (city) and the public over the past 12 years and there isn't much difference, aside from the fact that those in the city spend most of their time on the p*ss.

Perhaps that dislike is precisely because she's a spectacularly weak candidate in just the same way as Ben: full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

It's insulting saying that people in the public sector are allowed to be nice whereas in the private sector you are expected to be a tad tough? Ok

Anyway , he isn't cut out for SirAlun's company and would struggle to be taken seriously if he won.

Who said that exactly - was it in your own head? If so,you forgot to explain that part.

It is insulting to say that those who work in the public sector are 'weak'. Regardless of how you view 'weak' - to me, it's an insult. OK.

Everyone's some kind of hot shot business expert when the Apprentice is on.

Well , you are certaintly over sensitive and can't deal with a difference of opinion. Do you work in HR?

But then how come Nick liked Ben and not Debra, if they're so similar?

90% of employers would choose James over the rest of them. Although he plays the fool, this doesn't mean he is weak or lacks business skills, that is just the misconception which Ben and many of the others have fell for. He was spot on about Debra upsetting potential colleagues. Although she herself would be productive, this would be off-set against the amount of people who she would p!ss off. A happy workforce is a productive workforce. It's no surprise to me James is high up in a leading financial organisation.

Difference of opinion, or blatent rudeness? The latter my dear.

Not that it's any of your business, I do not work in HR. You are clearly in sales Comes across VERY well. I wonder what type? You are clearly suited to a profession which still values an arrogant, narrowminded approach.

Or is it all just an act and you don't actually do anything at all but big yourself up on an internet forum? Hmmmmm

In a bloke it looks bluff. In a woman it looks shrill. Yes, that's sexist, but it's a cultural thing.

I've got to say i completly disagree. Howard has been weak throughout, the only task in which I have seen him actually get actively involved was the one last week and the week before. Moreover although Debra has been on the winning team several times she is also incredibly unprofessional and has had a lot of luck on her side. Admittedly Kate, Yasmina and probably Lorraine seem a lot stronger than James at the moment. But bear in mind that he has been very unlucky, in both tasks he lost team members let him down. Esspecially in the one this week when the losing factor was clearly the choice of the rocking horse - a choice which Debra and Ben made.

I really like James, and to be fair I don't see how he's considered the weakest, he's done little totally wrong, whereas some of the others when they've cocked up have done it big time.

I think he's stronger than Howard, and possibly Lorraine too. Lorraine's done little except moan about things or be canny enough to attach herself to someone strong. Howard's barely done anything, although I think I saw his arm ironing a shirt one week.

Also, is it just me or does James remind anyone else of a male Ruth Badger? There's something about the way he talks that makes me think of her... the directness without the need for rudeness.

Ultimately James made that choice. As Project Manager he always could have said no. He eventually managed to extract a second choice of the crash helmet from Debra (admittedly it was like pulling teeth) so he could have gone with that if he was too worried about the risk of the rocking horse (a risk that Debra made perfectly clear to him).

He was let down FAR more on his first go round as PM, when he told Ben to do something (develop his tricep dip idea) and then Ben went off and did something completely different.

More importantly, had Debra gone for the crash helmet, would they have won the task??!!!

I "big myself up" on an internet forum?! Not sure what that means but to answer your question- no, I don't work in sales

I wasn't being rude at all , just offering an opinion. I guess if I was appearing on "You've been fired" or writing in a newspaper you would have accepted MY opinion


I'm not a big fan of Debra but I have wondered if she would be liked more if she were male . She reminds me of Tre who didn't win in the end..

Tre was never rude to customers like Debra was in the last task. He always understood the tasks, the rules and he was spot on in most occasions. He listens if convinced. Otherwise, he doesn't suffer fools gladly.

I like Debra. She is an excellent sales woman - probably the best there. She also demonstrated that she is a good PM in the fitness task. Her main problem is overconfidence: she thinks she knows better than anyone and therefore is not prepared to listen. I am interested to see how she will hande the next task.

I've noticed how subdued Debra has been over the last couple of tasks. If she could swallow her pride a bit I think she could be molded into a good apprentice , SirAlan doesn't seem to like confident women though so it will be interesting to see who wins this year.
I loved the Rocking Horse as it reminded me of being two and going to nursery but I wouldn't have chosen it to sell at a baby show full of normal customers , I think Debra (and Ben) fell in love with the horse and followed their heart instead of their heads.

Well, it must be a cultural difference between me and Nick, then. To me, Debra comes over as impassioned, whereas Ben only ever came over as a knob.

I don't consider James the weakest; I would rate him over Lorraine and probably Debra (because of her reluctance to listen to others). However, I think the big worry I'd have with him would be his performance as PM on the fitness task, when, despite realising that the task would stand or fall on the product, took nothing to do with the development of that product and ended up being presented with a product he knew was rubbish when it was too late to do anything about it. And his reason for doing this seemed to be that he might stifle the creative process simply by being there, which is hardly a recommendation.

Of course, by now they've all screwed up in some way; Kate 's poor sales in the Northern task, Yasmina's part in the sandalwood blunder, Debra and Howard's awful posters in the Margate task. And Lorraine just can't sell or present well at all.

She managed to sell well in the beauty and baby task

Mmm, but then remember her scarily lurching at people with her evil honey soap.