I was a (very, very) small shareholder in Amstrad. I paid a high price. He made a compulsory purchase order to buy them back for next to nothing and sold it on for a high price.

To me that was the problem. In the interviews she didn't present herself as if the cleaning business was really going well. She was my favourite candidate and I wanted her to sell herself but she didn't. I even got teh impression that a couple of the interviewers liked her and were willing her to do well. Perhaps she wanted to be deliberately vague with how well her business is really doing.

Even when she explained how she started the business she undersold herself - it was the easiest business she could think of. I'm sure she must have had to pitch to businesses in order to win cleaning contracts, liaise with different people,etc. yet she didn't sell any of this to LS or the interviewers.

It's a shame, as other than that she's been an excellent candidate - apart from the James incident - but she'll go far anyway so it really doesn't matter.

No, it was the "Jamie do this, do that, nag, nag" one who, the second he finally snapped and asked her to basically STFU, played the victim card. "Jamie you're intimidating me."

I hate people who dish it out all they like but can't take it in return. Especially those who play the victim the moment somebody stands up to them.

Do stop the "like you" - so childish.
The bookholder was laughed out of the boardroom by Sid.
Perhaps you had forgotten.
She didn't know about Sid's businesses,
Didn't bother to do any research about the organizations she aspired to join.
So, a bit silly of you to dismiss this lack of intelligence as her not being privvy to Sid's "scams" or whatever.
Again, anyone can hire themselves out as a cleaner, requires zilch initiative.
As another poster, above, has pointed out, her place could have been filled by anyone, from checkout girl to dustman.
So much for the programme's blurb about "the brightest of Britain's business talent"
Sid is telling porkies.

I think she lacked confidence mostly. Her business is doing well but she was still the least qualified of them all. Also she might have been trying to downplay her business so she didn't want to be asked 'why would someone with a successful business apply for the apprentice?' but she went too far the other way.

In the end it might be for the best. She doesn't need a job with LS. She just needs to carry on what she's doing, with some guidance and maybe do some business courses at night school, if she can.

I have noticed that you have posted a number of quite passionate comments in defence of Joanna.

I have to ask- do you know or are you related to her?

Nope.

I just get really pee'd off when there are several hate threads directed at one candidate as there were for Joanna and certain posters just repeat the same old negative comments in every thread where they get the vaguest chance.

I also stood up for Laura when the world and it's dog started treating her as if she was a cross between Lucrezia Borgia and Elizabeth Bethany.

ok fair enough, just wanted to ask

No she came across as not being well educated, but she is far from thick, she learned more on that show than anyone else.

LS and Karen were very impressed with her, and i for one can understand why.
She knows where she started from in this great human race and considering her starting position she has made great headroad.
good luck to her.

Race to what?

What good ideas did she come up with?

Joanna came up with aiming the DVDs at kids, it was only once Stubaggs had had his self indulgent day at the race track that he called the rest of his team to tell them that he thought it a good idea to sell to kiddies as adults would rather spend the money on booze.

Joanna started off with a massive chip on her shoulder.. but she got told off and learnt how to control her aggression which is clear that some people on here don't know how to do!

I thought Joanna was a great candidate and that is why she made it to the stage that she did. Unfortuanatly for her.. her interviewing skills were appalling and therefore she was so unprepared that it showed that she was still needing to learn a lot more about business than what Lord Sugar could teach her right now.

I feel that if she had applied for the apprentice in 4 years time with more experience under her belt then she would of made the final.

I just wish her good luck with her cleaning business and that I hope she takes the advice she was given.

Exactly. If I was Jamie I would have snapped ages ago! It showed you the full extent on The Apprentice: You're Fired when she even said 'Jamie! Jamie! Where are you walking to?!' 'What are you doing?' So bloody annoying!

It was laughed again last night by LS. But no one has come up with a better one and boots liked it.
She wasnt intending to join his 'scams' but to start a new one. Better not to know about the old ones. As LS says it brings more bright sparks or shrewdness into it. That is why he likes chris he finds ways of doing things differently.
You are right anyone can have filled her place even a check out girl. This wasnt a test of education but of common sense.
The brightest of talent doesnt need LS. They work for themselves.
As I have already said. What would you suggest someone without any capital and wants to be their own boss should start doing. I dont know but I imagine she started cleaning herself and now has workers doing it for her. Anyone who can afford to employ someone, in my book recieves recognition.
Youre really right in everything you say, but you dont apply it correctly.

Reminds me of a story: my uncle was simply sitting in his Living Room and his wife came in and snapped "What are you doing?" His reply: "Just waiting for some bloody woman to tell me what to do!!!!" lol

I think we all get a bit carried away, both in our disdain for some candidates and our praise of others. The reality is that the tasks they do on the show are generally a step above playground businesses, they're far from "real business" and don't tell us much if anything about how these people could actually cope in business full time. There's usually a couple of one off tasks that are proper business (although these tend to be the ones where the task is pre setup "You're going to be selling x which we know company y want and we've arranged a meeting with them) but mostly it is small sales and dashing about selling to people that wont mind paying to get their face on tv, without the cameras half the time these people would have been turned away at the doors of businesses. Selling sausages on the street makes you a market stall trader not a top dog in the city.

Back onto the original topic of the thread, I had Joanna as somewhere in her 30s, maybe even a very well-preserved 40!

She was out of her depth and obviously had an inferiorty complex.

She looked early 30's to me.

probably the tache that made her look older

This 'true colours' notion is really tedious. I agree that she behaved badly during that episode, but Joanna's not a Disney character. Is it really that impossible for her to display different characteristics in different situations and for all of them to be 'true'?

Back on topic: I think she looks her age, which is fine.

Joanna did very well. Quite frankly I found her sacking quite emotional. I know she is a rough diamond and she has an unsavoury conviction but she has built a business from nothing, a succesful business, and she does not deserve the shit that is thrown at her.

As a business woman there is alot to admire about Joanna Riley.

I really do hope she succeeds in what she does in life.

Exactly.
All the tasks, except the odd presentations only eg silly TV adverts, end up by shouting at people in the street.
Sid inserts one or two business "principles" to make himself look learned but results are usually a matter of luck eg whatsisname giving a London tour agency 20% of everything.
Sometimes it's quite bizarre like that army officer type taking industrial cheese slabs to France in a previous series.
Good TV but removed somewhat from actual business life, I imagine.

I don't agree, I think she realised she needed to keep quiet in the boardroom and just smile but outside of it she was (and I suspect still is) a naturally aggressive person. She knows how to make people think she is sweet, look at the argument with Jamie when he explodes, she moves from innocent shock to stoking him further "you're acting like a mad man", Joanna's key strength was that she could identify what she wanted and get it, that's a great skill if you're self employed, it does not translate so well to the workplace unless the person is very aware and tactile.

I dont doubt she developed in some way on the show, but she did not suddenly become a different personality after one telling off. Life just doesn't happen like that, people are too complex.

There may be some who just hate her. Others who don't, but are criticising aspects of her performance, and that is quite a valid thing to do. Notary can clearly see no wrong in her, which is no better than those who can see no right. As for notary's assumption of misogyny or racism as the reason why some don't like everything about her that's simply ridiculous.


She did well on some tasks, poorly on others. She certainly wasn't flawless. As for the beach book holder Boots were only interested in the brand, not the product idea. They wanted exclusivity so they could develop a range of products themselves.

She came across as a poor manager, as recently when she badgered Jamie constantly in the tourism task, then blamed him for eventually reacting to her pressure. Maybe that's how she treats her cleaners but it won't go down well in business.

No doubt she will expand her business and be more successful after this experience, and good luck to her in that, but there are plenty of small buisiness owners around who do the same thing. Sugar is supposed to be looking for the best, not run of the mill.