I found her so annoying to start with, I hated the way she tried to manage her PM's. I was sooooooo mad when Simon got fired instead of her or Alex. I didn't believe she had changed on the ice cream task, but since then she hasn't tried to manage her PM, she has toned down what she says, and she has become quite amusing as well as performing really well!

I was ashamed to admit that out of those left she is now in the group that I like, and I wouldn't mind if she won!

I have a sneaking sort of admiration for Claire. I wouldn't mind if she won at all. Not sure I actually LIKE her though...

I think shes great and have done for such a long time lol

Maybe not rrreeeally like her, but I've warmed to her a bit...

Although I note, that instead of "trying to manage her PM", that is, undermining hem/her overtly, she does that in a subvert way, by not pointing out strategy or other faults that are visible to her during the actual task.

I echo all the posts above.

Lesser of however many evils

phew not just me then. i thoght ii had gone a bit mad!

Done nothing since and basically standing on the shoulders of better individuals due to weaker candidates already gone.

That's blatantly not true....last week, for example, she argueably performed better than any one else on either team...

she is the one i really disliked the most in the begining, now she has become my fave - really has grown on me

She has real promise and true potential. She is certainly among my top two. I would rather have an adaptable, willing to learn, ready to accept she needs to learn Clair than an Alex who feels he has nothing toprove by virtue of having been lucky on a number of tasks which hasn't led to any learning curve for him.

I am having real problems with Helene because, despite the deplorable editing where she appears to have nothing to offer, the comments made by Sir Alan and his side-kicks are really positive. As a viewer I just don't get to see anything 'good'

She has grown on me. When she stops undermining she is a grafter and quite funny.

I have given a possible explanation for that several times.

It seems to me she is more mature and has a far greater degree of common sense that most of the others.

I suspect that she may just get on with the tasks she's assigned, sorting out any problems quietly and efficiently and offering helpful advice to members of the sub team she's in that stop them doing anything spectacularly stupid.

This doesn't make for particularly interesting TV but explains why her team mates never seem to have a problem with her and no one has ever complained that she doesn't pull her weight.

If you want believe what you see (and remain logical) you have to be able to explain how someone can make it to the end 'doing nothing' or even doing the bare minimum, and yet never elicit a complaint from her team mates.

They are not backward about coming forward about people they perceive not to have done enough for the task and yet it is not an accusation levelled against Helene.

She has deffo grown on me, I think I want her to win the most now tbh.

Sorry, 2LO, maybe I should have said DESPITE your possible explanations, I am having real problems with helene.

I also don't have to justify anything to you. I have acknowledged before that the editing doesn't do any favours to many of the contestants on the show.

I can not explain how someone has made it to "the end 'doing nothing' or even doing the bare minimum, and yet bever elicit a complaint from her team mates." much as I suspect you cannot unless we get into the whole she may have/may not have debate - I take it we saw the same show?

In addition, I referred to the 'deplorable' editing and also the positive comments made by Sir Alan et al. Read what you like into that.

No need to apologise.


WTF?

Who on earth suggested that you did?

It's just a possible explanation.

I'm by no means certain it's correct.

It just seems more likely than her doing nothing and nobody bothering to mention it.

Of course there may be another explanation that no one has though of yet.

That's because SAS (as well as Nick and Margaret), are watching her like hawks.

Don't be fooled into thinking she's such a 'great' gal (cos she ain't).

It's all an act.

I wouldn't say I was strating to 'like' her but I'm starting to see how she might be employable if she really wanted the job.

I still think she's in it for the fame and she wouldn't stay in the job for more than a month or two.

She's been my favourite from the start (there, I've admitted it). I did cringe in episode 4, when she started harassing Simon, and I did shout at the telly on more than one occasion "Claire, shut the f**k up!".

But, she's from my home town (as is Helene, but I've never really taken to Helene), she's obviously the most hard-working, she's teh best of the remaining candidates at delivering to an audience (as opposed to one-to-one selling, where Lee and Alex both excel), she is far better at selling than the two other girls in the final five, she's the best team leader, Alan and Nick have both taken a real shine to her, and since she got separated from the unshaven whinger she's got better and better and better.

I don't think she'll win - I think she's too much like Saira, Ruth and Kristina (as opposed to Tim, Michelle and Simon) - if Sugar tells her to do something she doesn't agree with, she'll argue with him, and there are at least three other contestants in the final five who would never argue with Sugar, but I think she'll get to the final. And as each of the losing finalists has each gone on to bigger and better things than the one who wins the apprenticeship, I don't think that she will be too upset over that.

The best way to put Claire is that she is a livewire.
I bet one can enter the same pub at each ends of each other & not only hear her talking but what the debate is about.
On screen she is great viewing which is why we have seen more of her than say Henene.

The synical side of me says what are real motives?
If she comes out of the interview well then synical or not it will be very hard not to pick her in the final.

she has got better and better as the weeks have gone on, but i wouldn't say i'm really liking her lol.
still, out of who's left, i'd like Claire to win

I didn't like Claire at all at the start of the series. Every time she opened her mouth to speak to i wanted to mute the TV...it was all just a little too much

But i have to say she has definately won me over. She can still be a little much at times but i've noticed a quieter side to her (whether thats down to clever editing i don't know)

Looking forward to the interviews with her to see how much she has changed. She does like to argue her case and make it known when she doesn't like something. If she comes through the interviews well (which i think she will) she's certain for the final and i wouldn't be all that suprised if she actually went on to win it...

Claire has grown on me week by week since episode 4. I don't like her personality very much but she is a very strong candidate in the business sense and has a great chance in becoming the next apprentice.

Yes, I agree that she's a strong candidate. She is bright and hard working. However, I don't feel she has 'class'. All right for the Superdrug/18-30 market, but for me personally, I wouldn't employ her.

She reminds me of Saira Khan from series one, extremely annoying at the start but earning respect due to competence.

Whether that competence would be significant in a real work environment or on tv is merely standing out in high relief due to the surrounding idiocy is another matter.