Recent articles
'Rough diamond' Lee McQueen has snatched Apprentice victory from Claire Young after what felt like the closest boardroom showdown in the programme's history.
We were disappointed that gutsy Claire didn't triumph as she once again proved herself to be a great team leader during the final task and she also helped to carry Lee through the difficult presentation and very tough Q&A section.
In the end, it seemed that Sir Alan felt that Lee was 'more convincing' in his determination to win the job and perhaps he sees Lee as the sort of chap who he can mould to fit into his organisation. Could anyone really mould Claire?
Although Claire managed to keep her mouth shut in the later stages of the series, perhaps Sir Alan just wasn't willing to take a chance on her in case the brash 'rottweiler' we saw in the early tasks returned. Also, we have an inkling that Lee needed to win the series more than Claire - we have a feeling that she will rise to the top without Sir Alan's help.
As for the final task, both teams' performances were pretty poor. Claire and Lee's winning Roulette fragrance 'for real men' was straight out of the 70s (they should just have called it Brut and had done with it). Meanwhile, the only innovative thing about Alex and Helene's fragrance was the bottle - and that was the designer's idea. We would have been interested to see the bottle they had come up with if they had gone along with the name Helene suggested for the fragrance - Girth.
Our highlights from the final episode were the return of the unintentionallly hilarious Kevn (someone give him his own series) and, of course, the long awaited and long overdue sacking of Alex. Hooray!
What did you think of the final? Would you have bought either team's fragrance? Did Lee deserve to win? Was Claire robbed? Let us know what you think...
Plus, watch interviews with some of the most memorable candidates:
Comment on this article
Please sign in to add your comments.
User comments
I think you'll find that getting a job isn't about who wants it more, it's about the person who is best for the job. Either Alex or Claire should have won. Maybe I could apply for an executive job - I could show that I have no decent business background, I could lie on my CV, make spelling mistakes, admit to people that I'm not good enough... I could have all the skills! Next year I'll just stick to the US Apprentice and leave the UK Apprentice to the Big Brother fans.
Posted by: bigrichycool2 on Thu Jun 12 08:16AM | Report abuseWell done to Lee I think that he and Clarie worked well together and were much more of a team that Helene and Alex. If people think that Lee was cocky did the not see Alex at all!!! Alex was embrassingly cocky, I couldn't stand him - I would have fired him that first week after the mess that was the fish task. In the interviews if I had heard Alex say "he was only 24" one more time I woul have screamed and Helene played the "I had a hard childhood" card with Karen that has nothing to do with business - she should have gone weeks ago - Mam management was not her best ability. I did not like Clare at first but she grow on me and have no doubt that she will go far.
Posted by: l_ebbans on Thu Jun 12 08:16AM | Report abuseLee is the man, he needed that job, infact he desperately needed the job. with only 4 months in Uni he proved himself and he showed us that Uni is not the only answer to be successful. Well done Lee!! You are rough and you are ready. Your determination and consistency paid off. No harmone imbalance, sorry clare - sort your harmones out!
Posted by: de.cain77 on Thu Jun 12 08:19AM | Report abuseI was fond of both Lee & Claire but thought Claire had the upper hand regarding coping/managing with business but..... well done to Lee & good luck! I expect one of Sir Alan's colleagues will employ Claire themselves (as I think one of them did say in the interviews task!) We've not seen the last of her!
Posted by: rachel_73s on Thu Jun 12 08:20AM | Report abuseLee lied on his CV ... Big deal!!! Who has not??? Someone without a job for sure!!! Even the interviewer admits to doing it so I do not understand why so many people feel so touchy about it. Maybe Claire lied on her CV as well when she said that she made her former company won millions, but she got her back covered (because a 30K bonus for a millions profit seems a bit stingy).
Posted by: uevallade on Thu Jun 12 08:23AM | Report abuseLets see: dishonesty; illiteracy and arrogance. Now we have covered his strengths what areas do we need to improve on? Sales, he definitely needs to improve his sales skills, I have had more engaging sales representatives knocking on my door to sell electricity. Perhaps he wants him for conning investments from the elderly widow aristocracy, I am sure he could manage that. He doesnt have the capacity to see the bigger picture, as he cant even see beyond himself. Better the devil you know perhaps?
Posted by: ape1010102 on Thu Jun 12 08:24AM | Report abuseEveryone seems to give Lee the stick for his splleing, just because you use a "spell checker" does not make you better at spelling. And with regards to the lies.... which one one you has never lied, bend the truth, oversold or exaggerated! P.S We need a built in spell checker for this comment box!
Posted by: jerrykhasar on Thu Jun 12 08:25AM | Report abuseI AM GLAD LEE WON AND ALL THE BEST TO HIM.
Posted by: l.thomas809 on Thu Jun 12 08:27AM | Report abuseLee won? What a farce! An utter travesty. I won't be watching the Apprentice again. Why bother?! At the end of the day, Sugar just wanted another 'lad'. Lee can't even give a PRESENTATION without falling to pieces! This was a complete sham! Claire deserved it more. But once again, the woman was robbed. Remember Hillary Clinton? Enough said!
Posted by: yvnns on Thu Jun 12 08:30AM | Report abuseNone of them were fit to win the Apprentice this year. None of them dont even come close to Tim Campbell' winning 3 years previously. Clair, I think, had a better chance of winning as she has had more business acumen than anyone else in the "house". Its sad that Sir Alan felt the need of being a babysitter for the next 12 month of 'freshly baked' Apprentice' employment as it proved throughout the series instead of chosing from a better stronger candidate Clair? Ksenia
Posted by: ksenia_kobyakova on Thu Jun 12 08:30AM | Report abuse