Things change, life goes on, the format is different now. Get over it.

Have to agree with that OP.

Me too.

I'm not all that bothered to be honest; I can see why people have been saying it because there's no real correlation between the performance in the tasks and the end result. I do also think it's a bit dodgy that Sralan has taken Tom on but not for the chair idea, because he wants to pinch Tom's previous nailfile idea.

However, I watch The Apprentice for the entertainment value; for Sralan and Nick's comedy moments, for the various idiotic moments by the candidates, and for the tasks. Regardless of the inconsistencies this series, regardless of who won and how, it's still top entertainment and top telly.

Agreed, it is not as though they changed the rules at the last minute, so it is actually quite childish to keep using it as a stick to beat him with.

My feelings exactly.

I'm 50/50 on this one, he wouldn't have won if he had been the old format due to his poor sense of business, negotiating etc. However, in the new format, he is a business partner and the ideas man, and there was nobosy else who was in the same mold as him in terms of ideas

Shame applications for next year closed before the final - else we might have seen applicants more suited to the new format.

But it's true that he wouldn't have won under the old format, sorry. However it's now the new format, which I'm happy about cos it means Tom won.

Can't really fault people for stating the truth though, even Lord Sugar felt the need to make this comment.

Having said that, I would rather Tom won over Helen.

But that is completely irrelevant, because...

Exactly!

I warmed to Tom on You're Hired. I don't like the new format, and yes it's been said before, it's just copying Dragon's Den. For it to work, they need to totally readjust the format of the programme and take out the tasks, replacing them with pure pitches promoting their USPs/business plans - perhaps doing trials for their products. I can see why people think it's bizarre that somebody can lose the majority of the tasks and then go on to win it - SO, that proves that the tasks are rendered useless to the end objective.

New format? There isn't a new format. The programme is 90-95 % the same as before, only with a different prize and a bit different focus in the interviews. That is why Tom winning was such a travesty, because choosing the winner had next to nothing to do with the things that took place for most of the series.

He wouldn't have won because taking in account of the 12 weeks he was terrible.

It is true though, and Tom winning is a good demonstration why the new format is flawed. The 12 weeks don't matter, only the business plan does.. so why bother with the show at all?

Sick of people saying the format is different now.

[quote=InMyArms;51519543]It is true though, and Tom winning is a good demonstration why the new format is flawed. The 12 weeks don't matter, only the business plan does.. so why bother with the show at all?[/QUOTE]

Because it`s my favourite show on TV

Even the business plan did not matter in the end.

The business plan doesn't even seen to matter with Helen proposing a new business in the final boardroom and Lord Sugar and Tom seemingly going into a partnership on a different proposal altogether.

I think the main grumble with with the format, rather than Tom though who is popular.

Tom and I believe Susan also would have been fired early on under the old format.
The only reason this time he kept them both till the end is because they started and run their own businesses. Simple as that, which was very unfair on the other candidates who hadn't started and run a business.

LS said on Your Fired aftershow he would have hired Helen if he had been looking for an APPrentice.

It would work better if it was a £250,000 boost for them to launch their own undisclosed business, not a joint venture. Thats almost how the Junior Apprentice works, only they get a £25k prize.

I think there are a lot of lessons the producers can learn from this series; it's been trying to make the transition between still having entertaining tasks but with a very different prize at the end.

I think they need to be a lot clearer about the rules next time around; in particular does it have to be a new business idea/new product, or can it be an existing one...and also, should Sralan take the winner on on the basis of the product/idea in their submitted business plan, and *not* a previous product business?

It would have been interesting to know what all the other candidates business plans were.

Agree completely! Though it's doubtful whether Tom would have won under the old format - the fact is neither he nor the other candidates were being judged under the criteria of past series.

This time around Lord Sugar was looking for an ideas man, not a larger than life salesperson.

Tom deserved the prize - good luck to him.

But he wasn't!