Lord Sugar said that if it was a job, he'd give Neil a job tomorrow. He said the same thing to Helen two years ago. However, Lord Sugar and the interviewers seemed to be trying to persuade Neil to change his business plan, and on You're Fired! it was said that he probably could have done it if he'd changed it - to pretty much anything, even inflatable shoes.

This is exactly what Helen tried to do, and it didn't work for her. If Neil could change it, why couldn't she?

Helen didn't have anything better than a curved nail file to offer him so he went with Tom.

Yes, but Tom wasn't offering a curved nail file at that time. He was offering a new kind of chair.

I know, which just goes to show how much Lord Sugar loved that nail file (& it also shows that contestants are free to change their business plans if they wish to). Helen didn't have much of a chance.

And Helen did try to change it! To a Greggs style bakery - I think that is what did for her tbh. That she didn't follow through on her original idea, and swapped for that

Helen's problem was that although she was near enough perfect as a candidate in the process, she was very robotic and cold, like Leah's professionalism taken to an almost unbearable extreme. I just don't think Lord Sugar was that convinced in her as a person even though she put in an incredible performance.

When it came to the business plan she had a pretty meaningless idea which when stacked up against inventor Tom cost her the win. When she changed her idea it seemed spineless and sketchy and Lord Sugar saw that and didn't like it. I think Neil was afraid of coming across like that which is why he stuck to his guns and I admire him for that.

Neil was also near enough a perfect candidate performance wise, but his plan just didn't make sense. But unlike Helen he didn't attempt to act on his plan when the major flaws were exposed.

In both cases, it's just proof that the new format doesn't allow the better candidates to come into their own towards the end of the process. Helen and Neil were model candidates but they both lost out because ultimately their performance during the 10 weeks counted for nothing because of their business plans, and in my view, that is ultimately the flaw with the new format.

But my point is, Tom had not changed his business plan. Lord Sugar would be crazy to agree to invest in something on the assumption that the person would be happy to do it. If Tom had offered to change it to the nail file business, I'd take that point, but he hadn't.


Yes, that's what I'm trying to say. People say that Helen lost out because she didn't stick with her original plan - but actually, there is an indication that Neil could have won if he had done just that. Why is it different for him?

I don't actually agree that Helen was robotic - she seemed to have a lovely personality actually - but I can see why Lord Sugar thought that. He'd barely had a chance to speak to her really. I suppose she had what I call the curse of Paul Tulip - did so well on the tasks that she was barely in the firing line, which meant that Lord Sugar hadn't seen enough of her at the end.

Thanks for this analysis, it makes sense :sleep:

I don't think she did. When she tried to takeover Melody's position as PM in the middle of the task she didn't seem that personable at all, and Melody and Tom seemed quite shocked at Helen for doing that. I just think that although she was extremely capable, I don't think she had great people skills at all, or at least didn't show any during the process.

I'm still gutted for Neil though, it's such a shame that the business plan is so instrumental in winning the show. It seems to make a mockery of the 10 tasks. As Tom P showed, you don't even need to put in a great performance as long as you have a good plan.

Neil lost out because he was overconfident and dismssive of advice.and the dud plan folowed a record of unworkable suggestions. The same problems had turned up throughout the series and were all still there at the final stage. There was no story of growth. and what he ended up with was hot air - it will work because I say it will work. He got a good write up, but he actually displayed pretty much every weakness suggested for Luisa with less flexibility and more certainty and more mistakes.

Helen lost out because it seems, from what someone posted, that the prize changed after they applied. Tom had no decent plan, Jim had none, Susan had a good plan but no fgures supporting it. Helen had no plan really. Tom is the only one with something he can sell - and he's had it since before the series starts.

The new format didn't work again because most people in the semi-final have no viable plan, and outside risk - not merit or the tasks - may decide the final either way. Francesca had no figures, Jordan had no business, and Neil had something unworkable. Which just left Lord Sugar arguing he had a choice of the less safe person with the safer plan, versus the safer person with the risky plan. In one way, he has the two smartest people with the best plans there in the final - but he's really judging something other than how good they are, or which plan would work better.

I have to say that's pretty much spot on and shows there is a flaw with the format because of exactly that.

i think neil still would have been doomed.

He could easily change his plan to just providing a portal for home owners to sell their own homes. period. Not get estate agents involved what so ever. That would be the sensible proposition.

Unfortunately, it's still a weak proposition in compariosn

its a tech startup, so difficult. Neil doesn't have a clue how competitive the tech world is, nor does he have any background in tech.

Both the finalists have better propositions and they're already currently operating in their respective spaces.

Helen did try to change her plan when she was told that her proposed concierge service was unworkable, but her second one (the bakery thing) was equally unworkable, mainly because both ideas were already out there already, and being done by big operators that she couldn't compete against.

Neil was essentially in the same boat - his main plan was unworkable in the format he proposed - but he refused to see that despite being told, and he didnt even have a back up idea that he could put forward. Maybe if he had dropped the idea for involving Estate Agents he would have has something that could be worked on......

I know that I objected to handing over nearly £6000 to an agent who sold my mums house a couple of years ago.....

They essentially wrote the particulars, put up a board and showed a few people round for us...... We had to pay for the printing of the particulars brochures, the newspaper adverts etc on top of their fees so I think there IS a market for Neil's basic idea where a vendor can cut out the middleman. In terms of what the agent actually provided, they really did have money for old rope - but Neil would need an awful lot of DIYers to make money!