Tissues at the ready...

- 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...

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