Recent articles
- Video: Watch the moment Raef is fired
He'd been lurking in the background ever since the first episode but last night Raef stepped up to the challenge of being teamleader and gallantly fell on his own sword. (That's probably how he would put it himself.)
We haven't seen a lot of Raef during the series - he's had the occasional funny line which has won him fans but last night we had to agree with Sir Alan that there was just a lot of hot air as far as he was concerned and it was time for him to go.
Michael and Raef seemed to fancy themselves as a comedy double-act during the latest task - and we're not just talking about that singing which was hilarious for all the wrong reasons. The pair clowned about like Little and Large on the set of their TV ad as Raef tried to coax a 'DiCaprio-esque' performance from the child actors.
Sir Alan was puzzled about why they had cast weathergirl Sian Lloyd as the child's upset mum in the ad - "If she'd been upset about her boyfriend blowing her out for a Cheeky Girl I'd have understood" he said in another classic boardroom line. We think Raef had ulterior motives for casting Sian - anyone else notice his excited reaction when she arrived?
It did seem like Raef's team were going to storm to victory - they had the slick ad, the clever slogan and a great pitch delivered by Claire (she's shaping up to be our favourite). But, as Sir Alan later pointed out, they'd forgot one thing - "where were the bloody tissues?"
It was this fatal error that cost them the task and helped Alex's shambolic effort win. Lucinda and Lee, led by Alex, came up with an ad that looked like a Victoria Wood sketch and a box of tissues that looked like a box of Weetabix. In all fairness Lee's suggestion of 'Atishoo' was a much better name than the other team's 'I Love My Tissues', however, his boardroom pitch was cringeworthy. Once again Alex has survived not on his own merits but because of other people's errors.
What was up with Lucinda? Putting aside the fact she'd come dressed as Noddy, last night we saw a new much more aggressive side to her and it wasn't likeable. Is she unleashing her inner business bitch now that the end is in sight?
It was another classic boardroom with Raef vowing beforehand that there would be no backstabbing and they would remain united as a team - and then going straight in there and blaming Michael! Michael, who's getting used to being in this situation, was quite to take the credit for everything that was good about the task. Yet again, he escaped firing. Is he Sir Alan's secret lovechild or something?
We still think it's looking like a Lee versus Lucinda final, though Claire is catching up fast - has she replaced Raef as the dark horse?
What did you think of last night's show? Was Sir Alan right to sack Raef? Why is Michael still in the show?
Let us know what you think...
Comment on this article
Please sign in to add your comments.
User comments
i do believe these are the worst contestants on this programme ever, sir alan got it wrong again for the 4th if not 5th time, claire and michael should ave gone in the 1st 2 weeks bt hey is sir alan's decision and believe he knows wat he is looking for and our comments really do not mean or will change the way he sees things bt like i said at the beginning these are the waste apprentices ever and who ever wins it doesnt matter cause they are all not good at all sometimes its not knowledge that u need to achieve something but wisdom which i ave come to conclude that they all do not have.
Posted by: kundaitembo on Thu May 22 12:24PM | Report abuseall the @#$%iness that exist in everyday work place and bullying is televised on this show. i buggs me to note that management rely on the dum-opinion of the rest of the team, and this opinion is all selfishness to gain favour and promotion of the one expressing his/her opinion about another team mate. all in the name of gaining the job at all and any cost even to the extent of telling untrue tales about about one another. in this case claire always manages the team leader and does everything herself which is impossible. the rest is obvious.
Posted by: teresiagodinho on Thu May 22 12:24PM | Report abuseRaef is actually a gent, can't believe he went instead of Michael but Sir alan has a definite preference for those more in his own image
Posted by: maryannecairo on Thu May 22 12:25PM | Report abusei was shocked to see raefs team lose, but it was true, where were the bloody hankies. and then even more shocked to see raef get fired, i had him down as a finalist. poor lucinda, lee and alex do not listen to her and she really does speak sense most of the time. i noticed with the glimpse of next weeks programme she is teamed up with that two again, i think she is doomed as they are leaving her out. as for micheal, come on what is up here, i am now begining to think this show is rigged, just like all the other reality shows, shame... its a wonder they haven't went down the road of phoning in for your favourite at a quid a pop..
Posted by: alba_gur_brath on Thu May 22 12:25PM | Report abusehelen is useless. i just cannot see what contribution she is making to the team. she is a waste of space. lucinda is better that the whole lot put together.
Posted by: orispemberton on Thu May 22 12:25PM | Report abuseWRONG DECISION - AFTER RAEF AND SARA - NOT REAL INTELLEGENT HONEST PEOPLE LEFT IN THE COMEPTITION - I THINK NOW THEY CAN PUT SALES PERSON FROM ANY SHOP AND HE/SHE CAN WIN THIS GAME.
Posted by: amanizahour on Thu May 22 12:25PM | Report abuseDisagree with quite a few comments. Lucinda wasnt being a @#$%....she is definitely more creative than the boys, you can tell by the way she dresses. So all she was doing was standing up for herself, whats wrong with that, shes been shouted at enough time, so all she was saying was they should have valued or at least asked her for her contribution then they might not have had a weetabix looking box. Yep fairplay, lee chose the name, and i agree the pitch wasnt his fault, but Lee to win.......gosh, after the last time he laid into that asian girl, and the other times he gets over excited, i couldnt stand working with him in a professional environment!. Alex has no backbone and winges like a women, so the only person to really win at this should be claire. guts determination, hardworking has a laugh, although a bit bigheaded i guess. But gosh, michael is a sly fox, takes himself too seriously and always wants to be right.Great show last night , enjoyed every minute of it!.
Posted by: gurdeepkdhillon on Thu May 22 12:25PM | Report abusei think this was the wrong move. How could Michael take credit for everything that was good about the task. Raef deserved to stay
Posted by: marceparayiwa on Thu May 22 12:26PM | Report abuseSorry to see Raef go he didn't deserve to. Alan Sugar can't stand the finish on the man and that I feel is the reason he went last night. To Raef - well done you will have a glittering career. To Alan Sugar - you let your self down and one day when you take Michael as your apprentice you will get your just deserts.
Posted by: hu.mira on Thu May 22 12:26PM | Report abuseMore to the point, why is Helene still in the show. She is totally ineffectual and appears to purely mimic Claire
Posted by: denisots on Thu May 22 12:26PM | Report abuse