A typically explosive start to the new series of the Apprentice ended with the boys' team Empire coming out on top and Anita as the first candidate fired.
Empire beat the girls' team, Ignite, by making a profit of £239, despite a smaller turnover.
It was an altogether unexpected victory for the boys who started a man down after one candidate, Adam, inexplicably withdrew from the competition before it had even started.
Sir Alan asked his teams to set up any type of cleaning company and both teams set up a car cleaning company with the boys also setting up a shoe-shine service. Mona (Ignite) and Howard (Empire) volunteered for the role as team leaders.
Even as they returned to the boardroom, the boys seemed unsure if they had got their tactics right.
Some of them were still arguing that the shoe-shine business was more profitable even though they abandoned it halfway through having spent ages cleaning just their first car.
Margaret Mountford said: “Never in the history of car washing have so few cars been cleaned by so many people.”
It did not matter, though, as the girls spectacularly failed to adhere to simple business rules despite starting late.
They only made a profit of £160.55 despite making £10 more than the boys after spending almost the entire £200 budget on costs.
Sir Alan said: “It’s a classic business message. They just simply overspent.”
The boys celebrated their somewhat fortunate victory in boisterous fashion at their cocktail-making (and drinking) session.
But the unexpected loss for the girls meant they completely fell apart in their inquest that followed and it was even more confusing when team leader Mona argued the toss with Anita and
Deborah who she had brought back to the boardroom with her.
Ultimately, though, the error was laid at the door of Anita who held the calculator as their budget was splurged.
Sir Alan said: "You showed no initiative in spotting that you were heading for disaster. And on that basis, you're fired."
Anita, in her fairness, said: "I'm bitterly disappointed but I accept that I was not particularly stellar."
It’s good to have The Apprentice back on our screens and reassuring to find that the programme-makers have not changed its successful format in what is now its fifth series.
With so many talking heads, it was difficult to see who might make the biggest impression. But, as Adrian Chiles pointed out on sister show The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Deborah stood out as the possible ice-maiden of the series as long as she continues to be reprieved.
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