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TV's The Apprentice winner Stella English 'overpaid lackey'


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Old 12-03-2013, 09:16
slouchingthatch
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She didn't actually say that, she said, 'Are the French very fond of their children?' I think it's ridiculous how much that quote has been used when trying to make Susan look stupid. To me, she wasn't questioning whether or not the French love their children, she was wondering if they're inclined to be materialistic with their children and buy lots of things for their children, and in my opinion that was a very sensible thing to be asking. The way she phrased the question was a little odd, but everyone has done that from time to time.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I wasn't trying to imply that you were trying to make Susan look stupid, it's just a quote that is used a huge amount to portray her in a negative light, and that annoys me.
You're right with the quote, I'd forgotten the exact wording. I will hold my hands up and admit that I did poke some fun at Susan at the time, but I agree that it was most likely a sensible question phrased slightly oddly, and then taken out of context by editing out whatever she said immediately before/after it. As I'm sure any reality TV contestant will tell you ruefully, an editor's choice as to what they do and don't show can make the difference between looking thoughtful and looking stupid. And, as you say, who hasn't said something that came out not quite right in their time? (As someone who has just ventured into the world of podcasting, I can certainly testify to that!)

One final thought on that infamous quote. It's easily forgotten that Susan was not born in the UK and I believe I'm right in saying she learned all her English after arriving here? Given that she spoke better English than most of the other contestants, the fact that this was the only occasion on which she slightly mis-spoke is a huge credit to her.
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Old 12-03-2013, 12:59
george.millman
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One final thought on that infamous quote. It's easily forgotten that Susan was not born in the UK and I believe I'm right in saying she learned all her English after arriving here? Given that she spoke better English than most of the other contestants, the fact that this was the only occasion on which she slightly mis-spoke is a huge credit to her.
She was born in China, but she had lived in English-speaking countries since the age of seven - she came to the UK aged twelve, and before that she lived in Australia. If you're a child, you can pick up languages a lot more quickly than as an adult, so her English was pretty good.
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Old 13-03-2013, 10:12
slouchingthatch
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She was born in China, but she had lived in English-speaking countries since the age of seven - she came to the UK aged twelve, and before that she lived in Australia. If you're a child, you can pick up languages a lot more quickly than as an adult, so her English was pretty good.
Thanks - I hadn't realised her English was already pretty decent when she came to the UK. (And you're right about languages being easier to pick up as a child.) Even so, fluent as she was, she can be forgiven for the occasional misuse of a phrase or word in what is her second language. I wish my French/German/Italian/Spanish/Cantonese was even half as good - I can get by as a tourist in each of those languages, but that's as far as I go. I certainly couldn't begin to hold a business conversation in any of my supplementary languages. I'd come across much more like Stuart Baggs did than Susan!
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Old 12-04-2013, 10:53
apaul
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Sugar 1 Stella 0 according to the radio. Slightly surprised at the tribunal finding.
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Old 12-04-2013, 11:04
treetree
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Sugar 1 Stella 0 according to the radio. Slightly surprised at the tribunal finding.

im not surprised she lost she did get a job with Lord AL not one she was happy with but it was for the year it supposed to be for and she got the salary that was offered - im not saying the beeb and Lord Al are whiter than white but they did what they had to
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Old 12-04-2013, 11:32
D.M.N.
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Full verdict - http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/Resource...ld-grp-ltd.pdf (also some info about the early Apprentice process)
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Old 12-04-2013, 12:40
treetree
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and a press release
http://www.amshold.com/social_media/...al_English.pdf
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Old 12-04-2013, 13:20
Jo09
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Sugar 1 Stella 0 according to the radio. Slightly surprised at the tribunal finding.
I read part of the decision as its clear that they did not believe her version of events.

Will Stella appeal?
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Old 12-04-2013, 15:18
di60
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Sugar 1 Stella 0 according to the radio. Slightly surprised at the tribunal finding.
I'm not... whatever the rights and wrongs in this case, she was never going to triumph over LORD Sugar
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