I've been revisiting series one of the The Apprentice this week, and I was very, very surprised at how much Sir Alan's manner and approach in the boardroom has changed since then.

He's much more restrained in the series 1 boardrooms; listens intently, seems more thoughtful, far more prepared to listen to what those in the firing line are saying. Also, far less judgemental when it comes to addressing errors and mistakes.

I wonder whether he's actually toughened up since then to heighten the entertainment value or whether the boardrooms are simply edited differently? Did anyone else notice this?

Yes.

And you'll also note that they did not have to call him 'Sir Alan' all the time.

I heard that that one was down to the production company.

A journalist I know who's met him a few times says that he's completely different to his TV persona (much nicer). He did seem quite waspish on Romm 101, though.

'waspish' great word! Well I think he's got tougher as he is not suffering fools gladly anymore. If you think about it the candidates in the first couple of series didn't have an agenda of getting into tv/celebrity..they went in for the job itself, not knowing the impact it could potentially have on their profile, just on the fact that they could secure a big bucks job working for a business guru. So I think he had respect and didn't need to shout down those vying for screen time. But, and I'm not saying all by any means, as the series have gone on I think more people have gone on it to use it as a platform to get into something else, and that what he shouts down. What ya reckon??

He seems quite waspish/grim in this interview http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserve...tures.review17

(obviously, 1 person's view/experience is just that - she usually ends up liking her other interviewees though)

I did imagine it would all be something engineered for drama by the production company. It's particularly noticeable this series that he enters the boardroom in 'confrontation mode'.

He normally has a right to be in that kind of mood because most of the time the candidates cock up unbelievably