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Jennifers Celerier and Maguire, victims of a double firing this week, talk about being labeled "ruthless" and "cold", respectively, and reveal the extreme symptoms of boardroom stress.
How are you feeling now that the dust has settled?
Jenny Celerier I'm absolutely devastated. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to go out fighting and I really wanted to make it to the end. So I'm just licking my wounds at the moment.
Do you think you deserved to be fired?
JC If I'm really honest, I was one of the weak links in that particular task and my performance in the boardroom wasn't strong enough, so I deserved to go based on that.
Jennifer Maguire I definitely think I deserved to go based on the decisions we made during the task. Sir Alan described me as a bit of headless chicken and there might have been a bit of truth in that, but I was disappointed that he didn't fire three people, and I was really disappointed that he didn't fire Michael, I thought he should've gone.
You came across as quite ruthless in the series - do you think you were fairly portrayed?
JC I am ruthless in many senses. I'm very direct, I'm very focused, I have a very strong character and I need to be in the work that I do. I operate in a new business sales environment where you need to be tough, you need to be resilient, because you have to face an awful lot of rejection in order to get the success that you do have. We're a very special breed in the new business sales world and I wouldn't want to change that because I love the industry that I work in and it's what works in that industry.
But what I have recognised by taking part in the competition is that I need to soften my edges a bit. I can be a soft, kind individual but I usually save that until I shut my front door at the end of the working day.
How about you, Jennifer - did we see the real you?
JM I think the comment that was made about me was that I'm quite cold. I don't really have a problem with that. My guard was up, I don't really make friends that easily, it does take longer than a couple of weeks to get to know me. But I'm never deceitful, I never did anything behind anybody's back or manipulatively attacked them or got personal. Anything I said was in the boardroom and in a very businesslike manner.
Who do you think will go on to win it now?
JM Helene is a very good candidate. We haven't seen much from her yet because she keeps her head down and just gets on with it, but she's a very, very capable girl and I think she'll go a long way. I also like Raef. I'd like to see him go on. I think we see something different from him each week, he's a lot of very good ideas, and he's very good to work with as well.
JC My hot contender is definitely Helene. I say she's like an iceberg and we've only seen the tip of the iceberg so far. I think there's so much more to see of her. She's a hugely intelligent, multi-faceted business mind and I think she's got so much to give to Sir Alan.
What have been your favourite moments in the show?
JC My favourite moment was on the ice-cream task when our team ended up winning despite being on the back foot from square one. It just proves that you should never give up, you can always get there if you keep trying. I think it's a very important message to send out to individuals and business people, to say it's never that bad and you can always get through in the end if you just don't give up.
Yes, it was funny, because Lindi and Jennifer really thought they'd won it, didn't they…?
JM (sarcastically) Yeah, yeah! We did though, we were all really cocky and that's something I regret and I did speak to Claire about it. I just said, "Listen, I just didn't think and if I came across really arrogant in that task I apologise." I wouldn't apologise for the exclusivity issue but that's one thing I do apologise for.
My favourite task had to be the restaurant task. The Bollywood dancer absolutely made the night for me. It was really enjoyable, we had a really good laugh, y'know, we were out with the public - we were let out! - and it was a really fun task. It was bloody hard work, but it was good fun.
What's it like facing Sir Alan across the boardroom table?
JC That boardroom experience is the most terrifying thing in the world. I used to sit there and have out-of-body experiences, like I was spinning around on a pole. I used to sit there thinking, "Just don't talk to me at the minute because if you do I'm gonna pass out and fall off my chair."
Sir Alan is terrifying and what you see on television is exactly how he is. He doesn't put it on for the cameras, so I take my hat off to him totally. He's being true to himself and, whether you're right or wrong in your decisions, if you are true to yourself that's all you can ever really be.
JM He definitely goes on his gut instincts. Sometimes he's right and sometimes I've been disappointed with his decisions - like not firing Michael. But to go with your gut instincts, I take my hat off to that. I have total respect for him and I would have loved the opportunity to work for him.
Was the second firing a shock to you?
JM I knew he was in a foul humour when he came through the door. I knew something different was going down and as soon as we sat down and said "Bonjour!", there was fire in his eyes - he was ready, guns blazing, to get rid of a few of us.
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