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The Apprentice: Week Six

Philip Taylor in The Apprentice
  • Posted at 11:41am
  • 30 April 2009
  • by PaulJones-RT
  • 5 comments

Q: What do you call someone who patronises you, lies to your face, then pretends to be your mate?

A: An estate agent.

Yes, Philip really lived up to the high standards set by his profession this week as he lead Ignite in a task to value and sell a collection of items ranging from a plastic skeleton to a valuable Indian rug.

First, he refused to entertain Lorraine's idea that, y'know, maybe they should actually check that the rug wasn't worth anything before dismissing it. Then, when it turned out she was right, he denied that she'd ever mentioned it. And finally, when the team were celebrating a miraculous win, he came over all pally and even had the temerity to tip her a wink like the wide boy he is.

Philip doesn't seem to have cottoned on to the fact that he is on a television programme and that everything he says and does is being filmed. "You've hardly mentioned the rug," he told Lorraine. Phil, she's on camera saying it. Nineteen times.

It's a real shame Philip didn't get the boot because then he would have had to go on You're Fired! and watch replays of his lies in front of a studio audience, and be subjected to interrogation and mocking insults from a panel of ruthless business people and comedians. At least he was made to squirm in front of Sir Alan, who - hopefully - has now seen him for what he is. And at least, thanks to motherly Margaret, there was vindication for Lorraine.

Meanwhile, despite an uncharacteristically feisty turn in the boardroom, six weeks of hiding in a corner finally caught up with Nooral. He didn't deserve to go based on this task but I can live with it because the rules of the game have kept him out of the boardroom in previous weeks when he's been useless.

So, yes, it's been a week of comeuppances - and they saved the best for last. Earlier on, as he took charge of Empire, Ben - the Sandhurst military academy scholar who never went to Sandhurst - ramped up the macho posturing to the level of pure fantasy: "In those situations where I am under extreme pressure - ie, heavy gunfire, explosions going off around me, people getting injured - that's when I can bring a team together, that's when I can lead."

Eight hours and one failed task later, the usually mild-mannered James offered a more accurate assessment of Ben's abilities: "You come in here going 'Oh, I'm strong, I can fight anyone, get rid of the weakest link… blah blah blah', and in reality you've showed that you're totally spineless and you sh*t your pants!"

Aaaaah! In your face! Ben looked a broken man, the fight all gone out of him. And James has just won a million credibility points. To his existing list of credentials (enthusiasm, fairness, sea shanty composition) James can now add one more attribute that will come in handy in business - total badass!

**

What did you think of this week's show? Post a comment below and let us know.

And don't forget to check out the rest of our Apprentice content.

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Comments

  • Posted on 06 May 2009
  • at 10:36am
  • by Geena

Ben has got to go soon. I am sure Sir Alan has seen through him but is giving him more rope to hang himself. I very much hope that Lorraine gets the order of the boot soon also as she is a real pain. True she did spot the value in the rug last week, but is a real whinger. I still think that one of the girls should win although not the gobby one, whose name I forget. I think Sir Alan has got the measure of her too. Great entertainment though....

  • Posted on 04 May 2009
  • at 4:22pm
  • by pierre

Ben really does seem to be barely out of the playpen

  • Posted on 30 April 2009
  • at 10:40pm
  • by Charles

Great reprise!

  • Posted on 30 April 2009
  • at 7:06pm
  • by Spider

James can now add one more attribute that will come

> in handy in business...

he's not Ben.

  • Posted on 30 April 2009
  • at 1:28pm
  • by Chloe

I really want James to win now, I think it may have been Margaret who said a few weeks ago that actually he is pretty good, but just gets flustered in the boardroom.

Regarding his well-deserved outburst at Ben however, maybe he could have used a better phrase than "you sh*t your pants!" considering what he has revealed about his own unfortunate boardroom experience!

I think it will be interesting to see how Philip behaves next week, as even I, a long-tie defender was embarrased by him last night. He's still miles better than Ben though.

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