Is it me or is this phrase being used a lot more this year? In previous years I only remember Sir Alan/Lord Sugar saying it, but already this year I've also heard a candidate and a continuity announcer refer to "The Process".

Perhaps I'm wrong and everyone's always used the term regularly, but if not I wonder why the increased use this year?

I'm pretty sure that it's always been used a lot in the past. I recall Lee McQueen referring it as "Twelve weeks of intense process" when he won in Series 4.

yeah, it's always grated a bit in the past for me

same as the constant use of "sub-team"

isn't a sub-team just...a team

same way that you can't have half a hole?