I used it as an example of me doing something that I actually did; you jumped on it and tried to twist it into me claiming that I'd done something that I hadn't. And yes, Gav came up with the hotel setting; I would never deny that we all developed the concept. However, I was the one who came up with the core concept (the celebrity roleplay).

And yes, everybody was strong in Week One, so it was hard for anybody to stand out very much. However, I was the one who came up with the standout idea (which so many people commented on), and I also selected Week One as an example because I wanted to show how I'd participated throughout the process, from beginning to end.

Also, when were your standout weeks? I'm happy to come up with examples of how I've been a primary contributor in every single task.

No, I'm not saying that at all (and how precisely did you manage to extrapolate that from my words?) Gav made the magazine-style cover, which I love. However, I did take responsibility for making the cover (Gav's contribution in that area was an unexpected and very welcome surprise), and I created two potential covers. Even if they weren't great, they were still usable, and we would have used them if we'd had to.


Actually, yes. I did have an advantage in my team members, and I'm happy to admit that, but at points during this week, Carlisle seemed to be using his disadvantage as an excuse to give up, rather than as a reason to put even more work in. He spent much of yesterday complaining about how he was going to give up and there was no point in even trying, when he had the entire day to work on the task.

Is that true Carlisle?

Stand-outs?

Task 2 - I ~learned~ how to use an entirely new software to prevent out team from flopping. However Mary did do a version, she just happened to use the wrong text and it had some typing errors so I had to fix it and I was the one who stepped up and downloaded and re-crafted the leaflet, which was widely acclaimed as the best piece of work from our task. What did you do other than write one paragraph, which was letter edited and edit one?

Task 3 - PM'ed well, although not able to take the win. I was still complimented as being a strong team leader and praised by my entire team (and Lord Sugar).

Task 5 - Won as PM.

Just a few of my accolades, not to mention the many more 'smaller' ones.

Slightly exaggerated, but I definitely did feel as if I had NO chance at coming out on top!! I was actually embarrassed to post my pitch in comparison to one which was of a top standard from the other team.

Yeah, I had a very negative and slightly defeatist outlook on this task, but in my situation who wouldn't!? WEEKS of incredibly hard work, long hours of working hard to secure a place where I am now and then having it appear as if it was all ripped out from under me in the final task... Although I am apologetic for having such a negative attitude, I stand by the fact that it was an understandable thing to experience.

Understandable, but at the same time, it's a situtation where I think you can either give up, or keep trying; and thought you tried and did well, I think the fact you felt the need go on a lot about how much of a disadvantage you had actually took away the fact that all you had was everything to gain; and Ana had everything to lose.

That being said, I was impressed with what you produced and it was good, I just wish I hadn't heard so much about the fact you had a defeatist attitude.

Ana, I am assuming you will be posting something similar?

'What did I do' in Task 2? I did a hell of a lot of research, coming up with both the idea to go with Cardiff, and the idea to use the Doctor Who locations as our niche. I contributed exceptionally well to the team discussions, and I wrote way more than one paragraph - if you'll remember, I actually wrote the 'Seven Days Of Cardiff' thing, which Gav decided should be the centrepiece of our campaign. And I did this even though I had to miss the last day of the task to go to London. Whilst I wouldn't count Task 2 as my strongest task, I still contributed a lot.

In Task 3, I took on the role of PM, and despite facing monumental team difficulties (with two team members pulling out after the task had started), I still managed a great win (with a LOT of help from Gav) after producing an exceptionally focused and realistic campaign plan.

In Task 4 - well, I don't think anybody can suggest that I wasn't the standout on my team here. I found 8/10 items, and came very close to securing a win for my team on my own.

And although you note Task 5 as a standout week for you (and I'm not denying that you performed very well as PM), our team was helped massively by Seth's lack of effort as PM, not to mention my willingness to take responsibility for the parts of the task you were less keen on (the evaluation, for example).

I also count the final task as a standout task for me - I took control of my team from the beginning, I brainstormed extremely well, I came up with the concept, and, as I've stated, I put in a lot of work to produce such a polished & detailed pitch.

Unfortunately, what has happened has happened and there is no way to take that back! However, I do regret my defeatist attitude and although I did feel like giving up, I didn't. I made sure I strived forward until the very end of the final task. I am hung up by the fact I was so disadvantaged because even now I feel it was ridiculous that I was effectively a one-man team against 3 strong, hard-working people.

I understand you may be hung up about it, but as I said from the get go; the winner isn't decided by one task, it's decided by how everything has gone throughout the entire process; so keep that in mind because this task is not the be all and end all; I have to make a decision on who wins soon, and I want to have you both tell me EVERY reason beyond this task why it should be you...

Just a few things...

Task 2 - Yeah, you did come up with the idea of Cardiff however we ALL did exactly the same amount of research that we were asked by Gav to do. Your city was just more ideal than any of the others and had the niche that you do have the credit for taking.

However, to say that the 7 days was the centrepiece of the leaflet is kind of ridiculous. It was shoved on the back page of the leaflet and, if I do remember correctly (which I do) was actually questioned as being a negative during the question time period of the task. Sooo to say that is a reason why you stood out is a bit ridiculous, sorry.

Task 3 - 'Great win'?? EVERYBODY agreed that it was very close and the task divided so many opinions on who should win. I wouldn't consider it a great win, more of a very close win.

I can't even begin to believe that you are throwing the fact that Seth was absent as a reason as to why we had such a monumental win. In my opinion, and an opinion I think is shared with Gav & Tyjet, the main reason on why they lost was due to their actual theme. A pub aimed at families is... interesting, whereas ours was different and stood out and just thinking about it makes me CRAVE for tzatziki on nachos or a feta cheese salad. Nomnomnomnom! (Still waiting to try out the bloody souvlaki though)

Carlisle one point, you did very well on task three, but Ana's win was a very good one considering the competition, just as I feel yours was in week 5 as you had a strong concept, you both did well as PMs when you won, I feel.

Everything I have said in the interviews in entirely true and backed up with plenty of evidence from both inside and outside of the Digital Spy Apprentice.

I have a flair, I am a determined, enthusiastic 17 year old with a clear mind for this sort of thing, I can feel the business in my bones. With me you have something special. In the interviews in particular I stood out. I have a very social way of business which I feel is really effective and if you were going to hire one of us it should be me because I have proven myself more than worthy of this and if I was in your position, I would definitely pick myself. Not because I am biased, but because I honestly am unique and am, in my opinion, more of a character than Anactoria. I speak my mind & am perhaps a little bit too honest, however I don't see these as negatives - at all.

I have proven myself to be a fantastic candidate, I wouldn't be here if you didn't feel the same way and I just hope that you are willing to take a risk to hire the more exciting, characteristic and enthusiastic candidate.

I didn't mean to discredit her win, I know she did a great job from what I have heard! I was just saying that it wasn't a win of epic proportions, it was a close show, is what you & others have said and I do think that the way opinion was so madly divided supports this!

I am a fighter, and although I don't want to throw my rival under a bus, I do feel as if she would be lying if she was to say that her win was something special when I just don't think it was.

Firstly, yes, we all researched a different city. However, my research on Cardiff went way beyond just the fifteen-minute research that Gav asked for; I spent absolutely ages researching the city both that night and the next day, in order to write my section of the brochure. And yes, the Seven Days was on the back of the leaflet, but Gav did state during the task that he felt it should be the central part of it, and that he wanted to cut down other sections to make room for it. Also, if you'll note, I didn't use Task Two as a standout week for me; I was simply rebutting your earlier suggestion that I didn't do very much.

Yes, I think I had a great win as PM in Task Three. That doesn't mean that the task wasn't close; it does mean that I faced a lot of obstacles and still came up with an exceptional marketing plan.

And, actually, Seth was the one who came up with the theme and forced it on Tyjet and Gav. If they'd been allowed to pick their own theme, I have no doubt that the task would have been much closer, so yes, I would count Seth as a reason that we won that task.

As for Rory's question (and I'm sorry that I've been so distracted by rebutting Carlisle's post!) - I think I've proven throughout the game that I'm a standout candidate with a lot to offer, and fantastic amounts of dedication and determination. The only criticisms that were thrown at me in the interview round were that I was 'too perfect' (irrelevant) and 'not passionate enough' (untrue). I'm ridiculously motivated and highly creative, and I've never allowed a setback (even a major one) to deflect me from my goal of winning.

I have demonstrated strengths in pretty much all areas - the only 'weak' area I'd cite is my lack of graphics ability, which I did make a determined attempt to overcome in this final task. I've managed my teams exceptionally well both times I've PMed, and I've never lost as PM. I get along exceptionally well with pretty much everybody, and I've demonstrated that I work brilliantly both in a team and independently. I'm smart, I'm talented, I'm capable, and I'm willing to channel all of my strengths into working for you and showing you what I have to offer.

So you admit that you only had TWO standouts in comparison to my three, therefore proving my point that I have had more frequent standouts?

...no? I picked Tasks 3, 4, and the final as my standout tasks. I think I've contributed excellently to every task, but those are the ones I've done best in.

Tasks 3 and 4 are the only two I would consider standouts from you, though?

The final task, although you did well, you missed the point of the brief completely which was to bring out a new NEWSPAPER rather than some sort of attempt at Radiotimes magazine.

Although I do think you did well, had I had your team & had I had more time I have no doubt in my mind I would have wiped the floor with you, even if I did not use that incredibly word 'urbanite'!

And I wouldn't consider Task 2 a standout from you, but I didn't dispute you including it on your list. As far as I'm concerned, the final task was a standout for me. You might believe that it missed the brief, but I believe that you missed the brief in Task 3, and you still included THAT as a standout.

Also, you did have quite a bit more time than you expected, and you still wasted most of it complaining, so.

So you are saying that adapting to the surroundings and learning how to use a COMPLETELY new piece of software within a few hours wasn't a standout? Oh please.

And I don't think I missed the brief in Task 3 at all. Although yes, you could argue our promotional strategy wasn't as concentrated as yours - which is obviously true, ours followed the part of the brief which suggested realism was irrelevant. Hence the "Anywhere who wants you will take you".

All of our dates in the promotional tour/strategy were fantastically allocated towards promoting an artist and we stuck to the brief in the way we very much promoted to our target market. The amount of work all (but one) of my team did on that task and the fact I managed well proves that it was a standout, sorry!

And I worked from about 2ish till 8pm off and on, mostly on, to ensure that everything was done. So I don't see why you are using that against me...

You guys are both clearly very passionate about this, and yes, you both have had standouts weeks in my opinion, I have to make my decision shortly, and it's good to see you both fighting well to try and win this...

Honestly? No; I learn to use new software all the time, often in less than a few hours. And yet, you've brought that up so many times now, like it makes you some kind of computer genius. But I'm not going to tell you that it flat-out wasn't a standout, because the point of those lists was that they were subjective, and that it was what you considered a standout.

And that's fine. I don't believe realism was irrelevant, and I don't think I missed the brief in the final, sorry. But I guess it's up to Rory and his advisers to decide whether I did or not.

Also, as far as I could tell, you didn't work that solidly. By 4PM yesterday, you still barely had anything done, and you were contemplating giving up the entire afternoon - or at least, that's what you said at the time.

With no disrespect to Mary intended, because her initial leaflets were brilliant, if I did not learn how to use Fireworks with TWO hours left until the deadline, we would probably have lost. The layout of the leaflet and the entire thing itself were the two things considered to be the strongest aspect of the task and if it had been littered with spelling mistakes and used the unedited text, I do think we would have lost. I saved us and for that I am the standout of that task, behind Gav for being an incredibly PM. All you did was a little bit of writing and a little bit of research, something even Seth did and he was barely even there for that task, not really a big achievement - in my opinion.

And yeah, although you say that. I think Aliyah made it clear (and some of the questioners in the thread) that your 'paper' was more of a magazine. The brief clearly states papers and therefore whether you admit it or not, you misunderstood the brief. Sorry, but i'm speaking the truth.

And, like I said, it's subjective. You believe that I didn't do very much in Task 2, and I believe that it wasn't especially a standout task for you. But you're going on and on about a single achievement, and refusing to even grasp that I put a lot of work into that task, despite having to miss the last day. It was not 'a little bit' of writing, or 'a little bit' of research; I was a core contributor to the task, and I think everybody else would agree with me there.

Also, no, I don't think Aliyah 'made it clear' that The Notion is a magazine; I think she suggested that there is a common ground between the two, which I was happy to agree with. Also, only one questioner in the thread asked about the magazine aspect, and that question was purely focused on the cover, the reasoning for which Gav explained brilliantly in his response. Also, as I've stated, none of the features we included would seem out of place in a newspaper.

If you're 'speaking the truth', how are you managing to get so many things wrong?