This might be a bit controversial, but does anyone else think that with Karren Brady now fully on board, a man is less likely to win The Apprentice? Don't get me wrong, I like Karren a lot and she brings a lot to the show, but she does have this "women in business" obsession which while good in some respects, I get the feeling that her influence over the gender of the winner might be bigger than we think.

Of course a man can win. Arjun won Junior Apprentice last year, and that was Karren's first series onboard. Just because women have won the last two main series, that doesn't mean a man can't, though it might say something about the quality of the male candidates for the past couple years.

If anything I think Karren is harder on the women on the show than anyone else. If you look who's been riding out for the female contestants over the past few series (Liz and Stella last series, Susan this time), it's Nick.

I don't think Karren is particularly harder on any of the females (unless you can give me any examples). But I agree with Nick pushing the business women.

To answer the OP, I think that a male candidate can still definitely win, but it depends largely on the quality of the candidates.

I'm not saying a man can't win - just saying I think it's less likely now. We know she's biased with her "I don't invest in companies that don't have women directors" and her all-women boards, so I think she has a big influence in this.

I don't think Lord Sugar has such a bias, and I don't think Karren has so much influence over him.

Well, she probably doesn't invest in companies that don't have male directors either

jim has it in the bag dont worry

Isn't this only Karen's second year on the show? Therefore not even accurate to try and sight a statistic that because she's now on the show that a woman has won/or is going to win every year. She's only been on this for two years (last year, when Stella won and this year when, no one has yet won).

I actually think Karen is more tougher on the girls than the guys, mainly because she seems to think that the women on the Apprentice have to be a good example to every budding business woman out there that is watching the show. Remember with the girls last year when they lost their task and she gave them all a telling off in the boardroom about how they were badly representing business women by their behaviour ..(or in similar type words at least). I don't recall her ever saying to the men when they lost their task that they were badly representing business men everywhere in that year. If the women don't give a good showing of themseleves on the programme as individuals they are then not just letting themselves down but also all business women in general. If a guy on the show lets himself down like Stuart Baggs then he is just letting himself down, but the reputations of all other business men are still intact. If anthing I think she is deliberately harder on the women because she prob thinks that they have to prove themseleves more.

Besides, I think Lord Sugar cares more about Nick's opinion rather than Karen's anyway as he has known Nick longer (therefore prob trusts him more) and they are probably more on each other's wave length (thinking wise) as well.

Two words for why hiring a woman is a complete disaster. Michelle Dewburry.

I don't know why on earth any man or woman would want to work for that arsehole, he's such a self-righteous, obnoxious, prat, I'd love to win the program just so I could tell him where to stuff his darn job.

He's not that good a businessman, remember the Amstrad emailer, it showed he had a total lack of understanding of the market, that product was a total waste of time.

Anyone got one?

And that means all women are the same, of course. Don't be silly, now.

As for the OP, no, I think the winners have won on merit (such as it is), whether male or female, and still will.

Michelle was probably the best winner, the fact that they split ways afterwards does not make the hiring itself a disaster.

The thing is the 'prize' is ridiculous ..... OK this year its different, but all the previous years, this 100k he talks of ..... well I'll put it this way ....... Im a contractor, always had a 'job' for the past several years and earn the equivalent of around £90k per year (I am NOT a PM by the way). My Project Manager, also a contractor, is on £500 a day ....... which even allowing for time off for holidays etc is still over £100k per year.

So its not quite this miraculous salary people think it is ........ not for the role that is being given. Any decent Project Manager should be getting close to that figure anyway.

Pity Michelle didnt spend as much time concentrating in sex education classes as she did on the Apprentice. Just saying ...

I have no proof of this statistic, but I reckon this is what's going to happen. She does seem a bit obsessed with getting women to the top of business, and why should she be thinking any different about this?


Fully agree. But in the final showdown, I think she's going to vote for a woman, even if a bloke was very slightly ahead in terms of everything else, as that is what she believes in. Whether this affects Lord Alan's decision, who knows.



Na, Nick's scared of Karren (as am I), he'd back down (as would I).

And as an extra bonus AS is not your boss!

Well I think the women are much better than the men in this series
For me Helen is the best

Youre basing this on the fact shes been anonymous since the start and last week when made PM she won both contracts yet only scraped through by 6 quid.

Agreed; I can't remember anything she's done prior to last week. She only popped up on the radar last week because she was better than Zoe (not difficult).

I'd like to see her in action over the next few weeks before I decide if she's a winner.

She hasn't lost
Sometimes the ones who win are the ones we do not see a lot of because they are doing things right and that does not make good TV
The show is edited they cram a days work into 30 minutes(30 minutes are spent on the firing process)

I hope so

I doubt it. Sugar doesn't like him.

What an unbelievably stupid remark. Either you're on the wind up or you're unable to grasp the simple concept of people being individuals.

Oh alright, I apologize ..... geez you make one simple comment ......