The Apprentice’s Ruth Whiteley wants to burn that multicoloured boardroom suit
The candidate was amazed by the amount of attention her outfit received and jokes she’ll burn it now she’s been fired by Lord Sugar while wearing it
Apprentice candidate Ruth Whiteley’s multicoloured boardroom suit was the talk of Twitter when it debuted in the first episode, but she’s joked it may well suffer a fiery fate now she’s been booted out of the competition while wearing it.
“I feel like burning it,” Ruth laughed to RadioTimes.com after her empty sales sheet on this week’s Pet Show selling task prompted Lord Sugar to fire her.
Although, as far as Ruth’s concerned, the eye-catching suit wasn’t actually all that bright.
“It amazes me that I’ve had such attention to it! Listen, I was really flattered. To me, it’s really natural to wear colour. I didn’t even think I was particularly colourful. I didn’t. Never!”
“Nobody’s ever sort of said that. I suppose I’ve grown up with people and they’ve seen how I am,” Ruth added. “You want to see me when I’m really trying,” she continued teasing that her outfit on tonight’s You’re Fired spin-off is “more Bond girl than the Bond girls” (quick turn over, it’s on BBC2 from 10pm).
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“I’m delighted because I’ve had that suit a number of years and I can still get my backside in it, so that’s always a success isn’t it?”
As for being given her marching orders, Ruth admitted her “back was up against the wall” after returning to the boardroom without having sold a single cat tower, particularly as sales training is her background. “I’m bitterly disappointed because sales is my lifeblood and sales training is my company,” Ruth explained.
“Then Claude [Littner] came in like the cavalry and said, ‘Well enthusiasm and determination are good qualities...’ I thought Lord Sugar would buy that ticket, but he’s obviously had enough passion, dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism…” Ruth added with a laugh.
Of the final moments in the boardroom, Ruth admitted she wished she had a quick retort ready when Lord Sugar latched onto the idea of project manager Scott needing to be more ‘ruthless’ and that “less Ruth would have been a good thing”.
“I should have been smarter and said ‘You can’t let people get off Scot-free!’ Ruth chuckled. “It never even crossed my mind when I was in the boardroom.”
The Apprentice continues next Wednesday at 9:00pm on BBC1
