I was just thinking about this... during the interviews last year, Claude read out some of the things Luisa had written about her ruthless business approach, and Luisa said, 'Yes, a bit like Lord Sugar really.' Claude snapped, 'Don't compare yourself with Lord Sugar. Don't ever compare yourself with Lord Sugar.'

I was just wondering why Claude was so defensive about it? I didn't see what was wrong with what Luisa said. If she'd compared her own experience with his, I would understand Claude's reaction as Lord Sugar is obviously significantly older and has done a lot more - but she wasn't doing that anyway, she was talking about her attitude and opinions, not her experience. And besides, Claude said 'Don't ever compare yourself with Lord Sugar' - meaning that Luisa couldn't say that even when she's his age and does have that experience.

I wonder if it was something to do with Luisa specifically. Perhaps Claude had taken an instant dislike to her, and didn't appreciate someone like that being compared with someone he respected. I wish Luisa had asked why she shouldn't say that, I didn't think there was anything very wrong with it.

Not a Luisa fan but its all part of the arse lickery of ol Shugs on the programme. Claude was utterly ridiculous there, like a Victorian maiden aunt having an attack of the vapours because someone said 'loo' instead of 'lavatory'.

Nah. I think they just want to present Sugar as something unique. He's a brand. Nothing and no one can match him in that respect.

In the boardroom, Sugar had scolded a few candidates for comparing themselves with him. The latest in that line is James from the latest episode.

But there have been times when he has compared himself directly with candidates. He openly said that he hired Tim in the first series because he reminded him a little of himself at that age. There have been other people, like Jo and Melody.

I suppose him saying it doesn't have the same effect as someone else saying it - but what James said was utterly different to what Luisa said. He said 'I'm just like you' (insulting, he doesn't know enough about Lord Sugar to say that) and he said 'You would have done the same in my position' (even worse, how does he know what Lord Sugar would have done?) I would have been annoyed myself if someone had compared themselves to me in that way, especially if I considered them to be a lot less experienced than I was. What Luisa said, however, was that she approached business in a similar vein to how Lord Sugar does. There is surely nothing wrong with that? She didn't say she was exactly like Lord Sugar, she said that she had a similar approach to him. There's a world of difference. Claude is my favourite interviewer, because I like how straight-talking he is but actually he seems like a pretty decent guy if you are good enough to earn his respect - but I think he overreacted in this case.

EDIT: I'd just like to add that actually Lord Sugar isn't totally presented as someone impossible to match. He is humble enough to acknowledge when someone is as good as or better than him. When he was criticising Alex last year for having a business plan completely non-related to what he was experienced in, Alex said, 'So by that logic, Richard Branson shouldn't be getting involved with flying aeroplanes then?' Lord Sugar responded, 'Oh, please! With respect, I wouldn't even consider myself to be in his league.'

Because she's a two bit whore probably.

Because she is a ghastly, talentless, obnoxious person with about as much chance of being an entrepreneur as a bucket of paint?

Comparing yourself to Lord Sugar seems like a pretty transparent way of attempting to gain favour with him. But I suspect the real reason they don't like people doing it is that Syed did it so often back in S2 that it just left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

Two edged sword. He now still keeps the Del Boys on, but the history is that they just don't make it till the end - you don't want to be identified as the next Baggs or Syed, or Tre

The other problem is that its often the thickest candidate who sees themselves as son of Sugar - which understandably doesn't get a good reaction.

Luisa is right. She's probably one of the two or three closest to Sugar in raw trading skills, attitude, and ability to spread her wings into other fields. She does CBB and fashion - he does the Apprentice and football...

"you're not a big fish...
you're not even a fish"

Gotta love Claude...

I think Stuart should have described himself as a small fish in a big pond, rather than a big fish in a small one. It would have been a lot closer to the truth, and come across as less arrogant. If you describe yourself as that, it means that you have potential but in the position that you're currently in you're competing against lots of others who also have potential, and you'd like to spread your wings more.

If I was quite successful, I'd find it rather patronising and insulting if a 'no-body' was to compare them to myself.

And let's face it: they are no-bodies.

I absolutely hate the interview episode every single year, in part because it always feels like the interviewer just sits in wait, ready to lash out should the candidate say anything that they can use against them. I really don't see the appeal in it at all.

I agree with you in part. I think there are parts of it that can be really interesting - despite his toughness, Claude does tend to be pretty thorough in his interview; he highlights any flaws in the business plan, but it is possible to impress him if you're really good, as Ricky did a few years ago. Last year I liked Claudine - hope she returns this year.

The interviewer I really don't see the point of is Margaret. It seems like her whole existence is to pick out quotes from people's applications and quote them with her eyes wide and an unpleasant look on her face. She doesn't appear to fill any productive purpose for the interviews. I'd rather get rid of her and bring back Matthew Riley, Bordan Tkachuk or a new person.

I always dislike it because if they started the process with the interviews they could fire about 90 % of them for being clueless bs'ers.

Yep. A young girl from Milton Keynes in her 20's trying to compare herself to a guy who grew in the East End in the fifties as a barrow-boy and who is now enjoying the high-life. It's absurdly arrogant.

Clearly a bucket of paint has a lot of chance then because Luisa is currently raking in the money, opening more and more cake stores & as a 'TV personality' and model.

Which cake stores are these...? Can you provide a link...?

The only cake shop she had appears to have closed:

"Most of our sales were coming from the website in terms of orders for weddings, parties and corporates, so it just made no sense for us to continue operating out of a high street shop with all the associated costs.”

He explained: “The main part of our business is now The Baker Shop in Verulam Road, which sells cake decorations and baking products online to over 97 countries and currently employs 38 staff.”

Luisa added: “We won’t be opening a shop in the town centre again mainly because my focus has shifted to our booming business The Baker Shop and my exploding media career.”
http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/busine...oses_1_3662777

And can you provide a link to the company that Luisa is running that is "raking in the money"...?

Nobody is allowed to compare themselves to Lord Sugar

Now that I think about it, all the way back in the show's first episode Sugar actually did say that he was looking for someone a little bit like the young version of himself. And he probably realized what a bad idea that was in the first episode of the following series, when Syed was practically falling over himself to tell Sugar how amazing he was, and how he was just like a young version of him.

So much so that you'd want your flunkies to jump on any nobody who dared to do it? Wouldn't that make you seem a bit insecure about your success?

Sugar does The Apprentice and football, now he has made his money and has time to do other things. Luisa is one of the new generation of zelebs. She made an impact on a reality TV show. Now she sells her tits, arse and her loud gob. She certainly does need to spread her wings as her current saleable assets won't keep her in business until she's Sugar's age.

Because he was a multi-millionaire by her age and is now one of the most successful individual entrepreneurs of all time....She owns a cupcake shop and has nice tits.

I think it's simply that Claude has a great deal of admiration for Lord Sugar, so someone he would consider to be an upstart comparing themselves to Sugar would be offensive. Hence the "never compare yourself to him" comment.

Comparing yourself to Lord Sugar on his own TV show is never going to be a good idea. You are making yourself an easy target by doing so.

She has sold the cake shop.

I'm beginning to think that candidates for the show have to sign an acceptance agreement that goes something like this:

Lord Sugar is God. You are an insignifican ant. You are insolent, while Lord Sugar's every word is wisdom so take it on board as gospel and don't answer back or compare yourself to him, ever.

Guys, don't punch him, no matter how much you're tempted to. Girls, don't slap him, no matter how much you're tempted to. Lord Sugar can be as insulting and as abusive to you as he wants to be, you have to take it and never answer back or give as good as you get.

Luisa would have signed that so she should never have compared herself to God, aka Lord Sugar.