The Apprentice - Wed BBC1 9pm

[Monkichi 3.0]

Isn't three years far more time than anyone would reasonably need to demonstrate their potential? A good boss can spot potential instantly. You're being more than a little sexist, Monkichi!

I don't think 3 years is enough to go from zero work experience and no further education to being the managing director, no. 3 years is barely time to do a degree. I find it highly suspect and the fact is that she got that job because she asked a person who was infatuated with her to buy her the club. That's about as much merit as asking my dad to make me managing director of his company. I may end up actually doing a decent job of it (From what I've been told she has actually done well) but that doesn't take away from the fact that I didn't get the job on merit at all. Let's look at her career progression again: She leaves school at 18 and goes straight to work at a radio station. She then goes to Saatchi & Saatchi where some guy becomes infatuated with her and spends a bunch of money on her. She asks him to buy a football club and make her managing director.

As I say, from what I hear she's actually pretty competent at her job. And I'm not being sexist, if she was a bloke in the same circumstances. It's not like I question Margaret's competency at her job just because she's a woman.

[Hexx]

Not only that, look at the date of the article.

That was my point

. But it's currently their most read article.

So basically this whole "I gave up everything to come here for a proper permanent job...didn't you Lucinda?" thing was complete bullshit!

It's not like I question Margaret's competency at her job just because she's a woman.

Question Madge and I swear I'll hurt you.

[Smoothy]

That was my point

. But it's currently their most read article.

So basically this whole "I gave up everything to come here for a proper permanent job...didn't you Lucinda?" thing was complete bullshit!

Ah, I get you.

[Hexx]

No! I don't want to be gotten

[Hawkeye]

... or Lee's " i'm thick .. but fun" tags.

I thought he might have been like a lad I knew who was smart but had a bit of a complex about not having done the Uni thing, so he used to asume anyone who had would be more clever than he was or that they would find him stupid. In reality he was a smart and very switched on bloke, but he you could see his confidence disappear when he knew he was in a group of graduates. Despite the fact he had far more about him than most of them.

I thought Lee might have been a bit like that, and it would answer why he lied about the extent of his higher education, but not running a spell checker over his CV was just sloppy.

[ZOK]

I don't think 3 years is enough to go from zero work experience and no further education to being the managing director, no. 3 years is barely time to do a degree. I find it highly suspect and the fact is that she got that job because she asked a person who was infatuated with her to buy her the club. That's about as much merit as asking my dad to make me managing director of his company. I may end up actually doing a decent job of it (From what I've been told she has actually done well) but that doesn't take away from the fact that I didn't get the job on merit at all. Let's look at her career progression again: She leaves school at 18 and goes straight to work at a radio station. She then goes to Saatchi & Saatchi where some guy becomes infatuated with her and spends a bunch of money on her. She asks him to buy a football club and make her managing director.

As I say, from what I hear she's actually pretty competent at her job. And I'm not being sexist, if she was a bloke in the same circumstances. It's not like I question Margaret's competency at her job just because she's a woman.

Presumably you're saying that 'merit' in this case means that you've proven that you can already do the job, whereas potential is a different measure, isn't it?

Your post still smacks of sexism though, I'm afraid. 'I find it highly suspect and the fact is that she got that job because she asked a person who was infatuated with her to buy her the club.' There are no 'facts' to support this as far as I can see - it just comes across as you thinking that the only possible way a woman could be suitable to helm the business in question is if her boss was infatuated with her. For all you know, she presented an excellent business case for the purchase. Exactly the same with the advertising that she sold to Sullivan - not that she did a good job, but that he was 'infatuated', again! That you seem to discount that possibility that her competence played a role sounds sexist to me.

Sorry, seems like she was sucking cocks to me.

As, indeed, does that!

[Kandy]

This season has to be the worst and one also one of the worst kept secrets how win, the final 4 are just loathsome. Anyway Trump's Apprentice just shits on it from a great height so I go watch that.

[Monkichi 3.0]

Presumably you're saying that 'merit' in this case means that you've proven that you can already do the job, whereas potential is a different measure, isn't it?

Agree to disagree on this. I don't think a 23 year old with no previous experience will ever, realistically, be considered apt for a managing director job like that. Has anyone done this by applying through normal channels? I doubt it.

Your post still smacks of sexism though, I'm afraid. 'I find it highly suspect and the fact is that she got that job because she asked a person who was infatuated with her to buy her the club.' There are no 'facts' to support this as far as I can see

Just going by what I was told, that she was in a relationship with this guy and she asked him to buy the club for her.

it just comes across as you thinking that the only possible way a woman could be suitable to helm the business in question is if her boss was infatuated with her.

At no point do I question a woman's ability to do a good job. My reservations are:

- She had only been working for 3 years with no further education and no experience in the industry.

- Her partner at the time bought the club for her on her insistance. Anecdotal, but then I don't suppose you know her personaly either. It is a fact she asked for the club and asked to be managing director no? She didn't apply and was picked as the best of the bunch was she?

None of my comments have had anything to do with me doubting her ability because she is a woman.

[ZOK]

There's no need to get heated (was before the edit, sorry!), I'm only going by what you've posted. I don't think that what you've written could be interpreted any other way, to be honest with you.

Where is this stuff from that she was in a relationship with Sullivan?

[Laine]

There's no need to get heated, I'm only going by what you've posted. I don't think that what you've written could be interpreted any other way, to be honest with you.

Where is this stuff from that she was in a relationship with Sullivan?

I'd like to know that too, I don't think she was. I don't think it's too surprising that someone with tonnes of money would take a chance to buy a club for peanuts and put someone he trusted and admired in charge. He'd spent 3 years with her after all. He can do whatever he wants!

[barkbat]

It's because she's not a complete munter, therefore sex must be part of the glass-ceiling smashing equation.

Feminism's only been mainstream a few decades. Give us a chance.

[Monkichi 3.0]

Yeah, that's what it was, I'm an amazing sexist. Jesus.

The relationship stuff was told to me by someone who seemed to know who she was. I assumed, since they seemed to know so much else about her, that they were right. The bit where he bought the club for her was in Wikipedia, maybe they provide a source.

[villenium]

Just to clarify: 'Karren Brady is a fucking slag'.

I know that because they sing it down the Villa.

[verytallgirl]

I dimly remember watching Sullivan describe Brady's determined approach, that she pestered him with her business plan and what she could do for the club: though I wouldn't be able to say where or when I saw that. Wikipedia doesn't say anything about them being in a relationship. There's a ridiculously positive profile in the Guardian about her:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/nov/05/comment.radio

Though I thought she came across/was edited badly on the Apprentice ('Alex is so pretty!': cringe), she can obviously run a business well.

And as for that fat thug who is so proud of his business record: 'oh, if you wanted your office arranged tastefully and smelling nice, Lucinda's your woman; she's wacky'.

Yeah, she has diverse interests, got a brilliant degree, acheived various other qualifications with regards to her other interests, dares to be a bit different, wears nice clothes, probably smells nice, knows about candles, doesn't give a shit about stroking your ego and makes a fat wad of cash each year on her own terms, so FUCK OFF.

[barkbat]

Yes, if anyone is sexist its that troll pudding who gives you evils if your life doesn't revolve around money. I couldn't belive his condescending and shallow summation of Lucinda. With all that stuff about candles he revealed his own shrivelled bigot brain. Must be boiled alive with apples.

[Hexx]

He's a complete dick every year though

[verytallgirl]

I loved that: 'money doesn't motivate you?'

Lucinda: 'Not really, I earn plenty and I'd rather be challenged.'

'So it's not for the money?' *starting to look quite confused*

'No, I like the challenge of something new. I would be happy to take a pay-cut in order to be engaged and interested'

*does not compute*

The interviewers seemed a lot more pointlessly aggressive this year - although that could be because there wasn't the Olympic levels of bullshit to expose, like in previous years. Just Lee's fib, which they seemed to make quite a lot of - he didn't claim to have passed with flying colours, just that he was there a bit longer than he actually was and STILL failed and left. Still, he should have checked.

And did I miss something with regards to Alex? He was AWFUL.

[ZOK]

They just showed the awful bits. He did very well in three of the interviews, and one of them didn't like him, but we only got to see the bits where he appeared to be a bit stuck.

[The Bag]

I wish they'd shown more of Claire's interviews, she seemed to get off lightly.

[hughes]

I get the feeling that if Lee didn't do the impression the guy would have marked him down for not being a good sport or whatever. Or being too serious.

[Belbo]

This thread is fucking bizarre.

Who would have thought that a message board full of people who sit in front of their computers seven hours a day working from a one-hour edit each week would be better suited to judge the finalists than a businessman with forty-plus years experience behind him and a team of people helping him out. Perhaps he should just create an account on here next year and listen to Hexx's powerfully informative insight.

[hughes]

Speaking of too serious...

[Pekoe]

I was on the same train as Paul Tulip today.

True story!

[Great_Sage_Equal_of_Heaven]

I was on the same train as Paul Tulip today.

True story!

Has he bought himself a nice suit yet?

[Monkichi 3.0]

I was on the same train as Paul Tulip today.

True story!

Was he asking to see your ticket?

[Pekoe]

Was he asking to see your ticket?

Lol

Funnily though I recognised him, but couldn't remember what he did on Apprentice, so my train journey was spent thinking "I know that you're a cock, but why?"

Now that I'm back I realise I should have asked him for a copy of the Big Issue - missed opportunity.

[toythatkills]

Is anyone watching the Weakest Link? They're well shit

[Great_Sage_Equal_of_Heaven]

Is anyone watching the Weakest Link? They're well shit

I saw it, couldn't believe that Katie and Kirsten just had to slag each other off on a game show, for charity no less. As if acting like miserable little children on a TV show once wasn't enough - they had to give it another go.

Losers. And it was great how shit they were, although not so much as it meant less for good causes

[Guitar Heroine]

I must admit I was bloody surprised to learn how much Cluuurrr makes a year. If its true. If it is, then flipping 'eck nice one!

[Hot&Spicy]

Almost time!!!!

Is there any website that streams it live by any chance? I can't watch it for other reasons, iPlayer doesn't have it until tomorrow and I can't stay away from news for that long?