Online Dating The Apprentice

This is an unbelievable opportunity.

Lord Sugar's in the market for a brand-new business partner.

This process is not about a job. It's about me ploughing £250,000 into a business.

Trust me. There are people in this room that are hungry for this deal.

Here to do battle for his backing, 16 ambitious entrepreneurs.

They told me you can do things, you lot. You can't. You're all a bloody waste of space!

At stake, a quarter-million-pound investment

and a 50/50 partnership with a business icon.

I believe actions speak louder than words.

This is rubbish. This idea is rubbish.

-It's a deal worth fighting for.

-You're talking nonsense!

16 potential business partners.

- Hold me tight. - Why are you undermining me?

Will you be quiet, you silly shit?!

12 tough weeks.

We've got to buy something!

- Big smiles! - I'm worried.

One life-changing opportunity.

You're fired. You're fired. I don't want to see your face any more. You're fired.

-Previously on The Apprentice:

-I'm sending you to the Motorhome and Caravan Show.

You've got to sell.

Caravan, caravan!

-Matching products to punters proved tricky for Kurt's team.

-We've lost the two items we wanted.

-We've done badly there.

-And sales of their retro camper...

-I really want to sell you one.

-..stayed static.

-I don't think so.

-On the other team...

-I love your style.

-..Jason struck gold with silver spenders.

-Thank you very much.

-In the boardroom, project manager Neil packed away a big win.

-£33,615.

-Very good.

-A pat on the back for Jason...

-I forgot to say well done.

-..left the other team trailing.

£1,500 is a bloody disgrace!

-Kurt ran out of road.

-I picked the wrong item.

He became the seventh casualty of the boardroom.

-Kurt, you're fired.

-It was a dead end for Natalie, too.

You've had a hell of a lot of chances. Natalie, you're fired.

Now eight remain to fight for the chance to become Lord Sugar's business partner.

TELEPHONE RINGS

6am.

-Hello?

-Good morning. This is Lord Sugar's office.

Lord Sugar would like you to meet him at the Old Marylebone Town Hall.

-The cars will be with you in half an hour.

-OK.

Guys! Wake up!

We have to be at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in half an hour.

-Marylebone? What goes on there?

-Weddings.

-Are you going to man up and be project manager?

-Will you put yourself forward?

MAKES CLUCKING SOUNDS

Oh, dear.

What do you think Lord Sugar will do with the teams? There's only three on their team.

There's five on ours.

-This is a bit scary. Our entire team is sat on this back seat.

-I know!

-How did that happen?

We need to win. I hated losing.

Whatever the task is, I'll put myself forward and make sure we win.

Marylebone Town Hall,

each year home to hundreds of weddings.

Good morning. ALL REPLY

Welcome to the Old Marylebone Town Hall.

This is, by far, the busiest registry office in London.

Your task today is based upon the theme of getting people together.

In the last ten years, the online dating industry has exploded.

Over £1.5 billion worldwide is spent on these websites.

What I want you to do is to come up with an online dating concept

and create an advertising campaign. In a few days' time, you are going to present your website,

your television advertising campaign, to a bunch of experts I've laid on.

But I will decide which overall campaign is the best.

And in the losing team one of you will be fired.

There's a need for us to balance the teams up here a little bit,

so Jordan move over to Endeavour.

So I'll see you back in the boardroom in a few days' time. Good luck. Off you go.

Two days to create an online dating concept with an original ad campaign.

-The first time I ever saw a picture of my wife was online.

-Yeah?

-But it wasn't on a dating site.

-I've never done online dating. I just couldn't...I don't think...

-You think it's for losers!

-Why? Have you done it?

-Yeah!

Some people are gay, some people are lesbian, some people are heterosexual.

There are so many variants of people's sexuality,

we need to make sure that we get all these people in.

-Within reason.

-Oh, yeah.

Don't worry. I don't think we'll have any 50 Shades of Grey nonsense! But I'm Christian Grey of the Valleys.

9.30am.

Farringdon.

Base for both teams, advertising agency Karmarama.

First job, pick project managers.

What Lord Sugar didn't mention is that I've headed a dating website before.

Flirting with the role of leader, Jason.

-I was Cupid.

-You were Mr Cupid?

-That was my "nickname" on the website.

-I'm shocked!

-It was a student website.

-For dating? That you ran?

-That I ran.

-You're keen to be project manager?

-Definitely.

-You believe you can do this?

-Of course. We're all doing it.

If you believe you're the right person, then you should do it.

-Yet to run a team...

-I'm really happy to put myself forward on this.

-..Alex.

-I've got experience in graphic design, websites and using dating websites.

-I'll put myself forward.

I don't have quite as much experience in creating the websites themselves,

but I'd get everyone working to their strengths...

-I think we need a business strategy. So I'll put myself forward.

-That's all right.

Em, I think you'll be really strong on graphic design, but overall you have a more broad sense of it.

I feel like that, too.

-You happy with that?

-Well, not really. Let's just get on with it.

-Cool.

I think we need to discuss the target market.

-Does anyone want to kick off?

-I definitely think young professionals.

-I second that.

I'm with you on that. 'My gameplan is to coax the best out of other people'

and make sure from a 50,000-foot view there's a clear theme throughout the entire campaign.

All integrated with a clear theme.

I think Alex is really strong on the web and text side. You two go nicely working on market research.

-- Perfect.

-Well done.

-- Good luck, guys.

-Our job is to come up with the name, logo and strapline.

-Simple.

50 Shades of Work.

-Also deciding who to woo...

-It's critical.

-..Jason's team.

-I like the idea of the over 50s.

-I'm swaying towards over 50s.

I'll put a spanner in the works. I'd steer away from mature because WE are our target market.

-It's something where we can differentiate ourselves.

-I'm concerned we wouldn't get it.

My personal experience and knowledge is young professionals.

None of us sitting here can relate to a mature over 50.

It's not an old age club. Get that idea out of your head.

The key is to bring passion, vigour, excitement into mature over 50s.

-That's essentially what we want to do.

-It's such a risk.

The City.

-Chatting up young professionals...

-Do you have any online dating experience?

-..Leah.

I went on two scary dates and it put me off.

-And snapping perfect partners for the website...

-Excuse me, sir.

-..marketing man Myles.

We have to do a quick pitch to an advertising agency and include photos of couples.

-I'm thinking you and her would look great.

-Sure.

-Perfect.

-It'll be fine. You look at me.

-Right, right, right.

A bit of hand contact, too.

-Maybe if you could put your arms on his shoulders as if you're going to kiss him.

-Bloody hell!

-Could you look a bit more wooden?

-What?!

You want to stick with the over 50s?

-On the other team...

-We have to relate to this.

-..working on ways to seduce silver-haired singles,

-Luisa and project manager Jason.

-Do we want the website to be timeless, elegant, classic?

-Em...

-Or cheeky, fun and a little bit on the line?

-We want it very young, very vibrant.

-OK.

-How about something like Love Ignition?

-That's so cringe.

PHONE RINGS

-Hi, guys.

-Hiya! You OK?

-Have you had any feedback yet?

-We're just about to go in now.

We need to identify do they like something traditional or something a bit cheeky and contemporary.

-OK.

-OK, go.

Taking the pulse of the over 50s, Neil and Francesca.

You don't want to make it too cheeky, like a younger website.

Stress the romance and that it's a safe site.

So less tongue in cheek, a bit more class?

Friendship and flowers? That kind of feeling?

-Friendship and flowers...

-Friendship goes on to flowers.

-Exactly.

-OK.

That's brilliant.

Back at the agency, the other team brainstorming ideas...

-I like a site empowering the woman.

-Right.

-..project manager Jordan and Alex.

'This whole idea of being a woman in power who sits on a throne and picks off men

-'is just the wrong idea.'

-I'm a woman who works really long hours in the City.

I don't want to go out to a bar and sit and wait for men.

I want to go onto a website and choose people because I am a strong, sexually-liberated

-and high-powered woman.

-When men do it, it's buying a wife from Russia!

Em...we need to think now, OK?

Like some girls love to have a man in a suit.

OK, so business and date.

-Cufflinks.

-There's a good word! Now I'm liking you, Alex.

-'Cufflinks, cufflinks.'

You need two, just like a relationship.

Put a big red box behind there. 'It's about relationship and business links.'

That is the whole market.

-I'm happy. It looks strong, clear.

-We've got a brand there, a niche. We just need to stick to it.

-Yeah.

-Happy with that.

OK, job done.

Lunchtime.

-Still trying to figure out the over 50s...

-Hello?

-You all right?

-..Jason's team.

The main thing we've got from it is they don't want anything cheeky.

They want the name like Friendship and Flowers. If you can go with Friendship and Flowers,

it describes what we're trying to do. You can start as friends,

then it can build into romance where the man buys flowers.

-Thank you.

-Bye!

I hate it, but the focus group suggested it and I think we'd be silly not to go with something

that a focus group has suggested. They are the age, they are the target market.

'We were going with this idea of energy, vigour, excitement and we've been thrown a curveball.'

Luisa and I have to adapt and change the whole idea, really,

to something which is much more drab than we intended.

Are you happy to go with Friendship and Flowers, Budding Friendships and Romance for the Over 50s?

If that's what they want, that's what they want.

2.30pm.

We're going to be going into the web design agency very soon.

-Where are you at with the name?

-We went with Cufflinks.

-Well... So you have Cufflinks?

-Do women wear cufflinks? I don't.

-It's quite masculine.

-Very masculine.

-The logo looks very professional.

-It looks really good, guys.

OK, bye-bye.

-As a name, Cufflinks says to me "male fashion outlet", as opposed to a dating website.

-I totally agree.

At the agency...

What do you think, Luisa?

Behind on Friendship and Flowers, Jason with Luisa.

Why are you hesitating? We have to make a decision and go or we'll get absolutely nothing done.

-What about the lightest purple?

-Jason, we really have to make a decision. Make a decision.

-Don't you think that's brighter?

-We're an hour over our deadline. We've got a website to create.

-Make a decision, stick with it.

-Give me a couple of oranges and yellows for flowers.

-You just have to make a decision and go with it.

-I don't like that, so I want a little bit more time.

-OK.

-And what about...can we have the flowers in really bright yellow?

-You've just made it look worse.

-Can we try black and white so it's got a border of black...

-This is absolutely ridiculous.

-It looks like a funeral parlour.

-I've got a headache because of you.

Unless we have it... Friendship and Flowers in green?

OK, we're going. We're going because we have to go.

I find it really frustrating working with you when you cannot decide.

-You can't spend 45 minutes deciding colours and you've come up with some bloody grandma thing!

-I have?!

-As if you're a bystander in this.

-I was against this from the start. I hate the over 50s.

-I stick to a decision once I think it's a good decision.

-But you can't take three hours.

-My point is that you can't take three hours.

-Maybe on a design task I shouldn't have been PM.

Maybe that's a good point.

6pm.

A website design agency.

-I'd like that...

-Inventing lonely lovers for Cufflinks, Jordan and Alex.

-Can we change the occupation from international spy?

-I want to be an international spy.

It's for serious business people. What is your job? Marketing? Media?

-Business development manager.

-Occupation: business development manager.

-It's more fun being a spy.

I know, but come on, man.

They picked young professionals between 20 and 30. Young people

who want dating to be fun.

Yet their website is incredibly corporate, very sterile. It doesn't say, "Come here for a load of fun."

-#

-Cufflinks for lovers in suits!

-#

-Two hours late for their web designer...

-I'm Lucy. Nice to meet you.

..Jason and Luisa.

-We've got an hour and a half.

-What do you want me to do?

-What do you want ME to do?

The thing is, you are such a very decisive person and maybe we need you to make these...

to push forward and I'll oversee it.

-OK, I'll lead this with Lucy.

-Lead this with Lucy and...and... and...sort it.

Jason has no idea. He's so out of his depth.

-'We've only got a little bit of time and we won't finish the website.'

-Bring it together and then two...

'I may seem quite aggressive and pushy with him, but he has to step up.'

I feel like I am PM on this task, but I'm not PM. I'm going to ask him, "Do you want me to take over?"

9pm.

-Let's talk about ideas for the advert.

-You could have a disaster date from start to finish.

The girl's reading out the profile of who she's going to meet and then whoever turns up

-is a total Herbert.

-Do you want an ugly person actor?

-We've actually had some ideas.

-Right, there's three options.

I'm the old bloke who pretends he's way younger, you're the 6 foot 6 strapping guy

and you're just the classic James Bond good looks.

What happened? How come you didn't get it done?

-There was just a hell of a lot to do.

-Think the others got theirs done?

-Yeah.

-That's what I can't understand. How have we not got it done?

-There was a lot of...time wasted.

I was just trying to get the colours right, to get the branding right.

-This logo is going to go on everything.

-But we've no website. I don't understand what's gone on.

There was a point, Jason, where you just said, "You do it."

-But, guys, we're just spending so much time...

-It's worth it if, come tomorrow, we get more things wrong.

I'm in a nest of vipers.

Everybody here has... blood on their lips.

I think that Jason needs to make a decision whether he continues to be project manager.

-I've never heard anything like this in my life.

-Or whether we all pull together as a team

and you make clearer decisions.

-You can't change project manager.

-Yes, you can.

-Am I hearing this?!

The team and the victory is the first and most important thing.

Luisa does have that commanding voice.

I've had enough. Is Jason staying as project manager or not? Francesca?

-If Jason's not 100% into it...

-Right.

-..let her do it. I'm sorry.

-I would like to be project manager.

-Jason...

I think you've lost it.

Job done. Luisa, you're project manager from here on in.

'Sometimes the best leadership'

is about stepping down. Sometimes it involves very hard decisions,

decisions where you do... lose face.

For the benefit of the team.

9am.

Today both teams must produce TV adverts and poster campaigns.

-Can we just agree that we're not going to go round in circles?

-No, you're PM. I get to shut up now.

Laying down the law, Jason's new project manager, Luisa.

-We are going to design a bust-up advert.

-OK.

-This is our website.

-Right.

-Start off with that green background

and then we can put our logo in.

I really, really hope that after that extremely bold move of mine

to pass on the mantle to Lu, I just hope we come together and Lu brings unity where I evidently failed.

-I just want to say "Log on now to meet new people" and "One month free trial".

-OK.

On the other team,

polling young professionals...

We've created a concept to pitch to advertisers and want feedback.

-..Jordan, Myles...

-It's about linking people together.

-..and Cufflinks.

-Be honest. Do you like it?

-Em... To be honest, I think it's a bit boring.

It doesn't stand out. It's like a corporate website.

In terms of imagery, it's corporate.

I think the website doesn't come across as having any passion, fun.

-What are your thoughts on the colouring, branding?

-Er...

It's any old corporate website. I think the challenge for today is to make sure the TV advert

injects something engaging into it.

-You must be our camera crew?

-On location and ready to roll, Leah and Alex.

I did a little photography and video editing, so I have some ideas. I'll be doing some acting as well.

I'm quite a visionary person, so as far as directing and editing,

my previous skills will really come to light today.

-What's the storyline?

-OK, Rebecca is a young, busy professional running late for her online date.

I'm playing a bad date before she meets Prince Charming.

Oh, yeah. Looking good.

Hi. I'm Herbert.

Hello, mademoiselle. Come on. Focus on the eyes.

-One, two, three, action!

-I have really high hopes for this one.

No, no, it totally went wrong. This is wrong.

On the other team,

-and working as one, Neil...

-I'm following your lead.

-..and Francesca.

-Big smile.

-Remember, he's picked you from hundreds of beautiful women on the website.

-Am I not allowed to say, "Action"?

-Yeah, definitely.

Yesterday, I watched the disintegration of Evolve.

-Quiet, please. Three, two, one.

-Action.

-Hi, Simon.

-You look just like your profile.

'After Jason abdicated, things have settled down.'

-Just a little bit more animated.

-'Francesca's happy, Neil's happy.'

-Lovely. Here we go. This time. Three, two, one...

-'Now they finish each other's sentences!'

-Action.

-Three, two, one...

-Action.

-Three, two, one...

-Action.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-Guys, well done, everyone.

Back on the Cufflinks shoot...

-If you can swivel the camera, I was thinking of that.

-Can you put it back?

-..relationships are falling apart.

-Right, as you were.

-We don't need them meeting.

-I think we do.

-We don't.

-Can we try one more?

There's two directors here. We've probably shot a usable five seconds of an advert.

We need to do this in five minutes.

- It's mayhem. - Try to keep your head still. Sometimes your hair is in the way.

I don't mind your hair. It's fine.

Action.

'Simon and Pam?'

-Shooting their final scene...

-I'd love one that's just a little bit of a wink.

-..for Neil and Francesca, a happy ending.

-Three, two, one.

-Action!

'Market research said not cheeky, classy, professional.'

They've come up with a mumsy... cosy...huggy sort of thing.

This is my age group.

Smile.

I'd run a mile!

-Well done, everyone!

-Yeah, thank you!

At the agency, for Jordan and Myles...

-So what's the thinking behind this?

-..Alex as Herbert.

Just delete that one. He looks an idiot.

I think that's already devalued the character.

It's gone panto.

The risk with Alex is always that he puts his own spin on it and ends up a distance from the brief.

That would give you nightmares.

I'm worried. I don't know where we'll end up.

8.30pm.

One half of each team put finishing touches to their ads...

We can cut the vocal there.

OK, if we look at the shots now of me playing Herbert...

The next thing is revenue model.

-..while the rest put passion into their pitches.

-Let's see if we can bash out the USP stuff.

I'm delighted that Jordan decided to let me run the pitch.

Slightly surprised. He's ended up not leading either the video or this side of things. Not really sure why.

We can stand up with an element of credibility. I hope the video supports that.

I think we'll be pleasantly surprised.

I found friendship and romance. Join today for one month's free trial.

-I'm really happy.

-I'm proud of it.

Brilliant job. Really good. Well done.

-I was really concerned it would be boring.

-The wink will be memorable. They'll love that...or hate it.

And it's tongue in cheek, it's fun, it's memorable.

I'd almost say it's flawless.

-What do we do about this pitch?

-You guys made me PM for a reason.

I can identify whose skills are best.

Neil, pitching-wise, I'm very strong and have had some great feedback.

I don't want to get into an argument about it. You have the final say,

but in terms of what I can do best on this task, it's that pitch.

'You know, for once,'

Neil is not going to get his way.

All I ask is you sleep on it, you wake up fresh and make the final call.

I'll tell him I'm doing the pitch and he will be fully on board and support me.

-Let's go.

-Cool. Well done, guys.

'I'm running so late for my online date. The office was so busy.

'I have high hopes for this one.'

-Hi, I'm Herbert.

-Are you a young professional?

Fed up with dating life's Herberts?

Join Cufflinks, for people who don't have time for bad dates.

What do you think overall? Does it work with what you've done today?

In all honesty, I'm not blown away with it.

It's verging slightly on silly. I've got to pitch this to some pretty serious people. I've got concerns.

8am.

Today both teams must pitch their online dating concepts to a panel of experts.

Waiting at the agency, advertising execs,

plus industry experts from market leaders eHarmony and Global Personals web design.

-Hi.

-First in, for the over 50s, Luisa.

Hello, everybody.

I'm really, really excited to be here and present to you Friendship and Flowers.

Budding friendships and romance for the over 50s.

If we now look at the website we've designed, obviously this is a work in progress developing site.

It's not yet finished.

I'd love to show you now our TV advert that we've created.

Friendship and Flowers. The perfect way to meet new people and share interests with budding friends.

Whether you're looking for friendship or romance, our easy-to-use website for the over 50s

is the perfect way to let friendship grow roots and romance blossom.

-Who would have thought friendship...

-And flowers.

-..could have brought us together.

I found friendship AND romance. Join today for one month's free trial.

The problem I think I've got with this is you've been too safe.

If I'm honest, you've been a bit patronising. 50 is the new 30.

It's not that far away for us. You've positioned it at 80-plus. It could be a funeral parlour.

-And the wink made me cringe.

-These guys went to the market research and we were quite shocked

-at what came back.

-Sometimes when you do what they want you to do, you end up with what they gave you.

It becomes a little bit too bland and too safe.

My only concern is the poor website you've created.

We... We didn't get to fully show you that.

That was...obviously unfinished and still being developed.

I was concerned we listened to the focus groups too much.

It's not a market we know. We had to listen to someone.

Next, Myles and Cufflinks.

We've come up with Cufflinks - for people who don't have time for bad dates.

Here's our homepage. We wanted it to be functional, easy to use.

We've created a character. He epitomises your bad date. Herbert.

He's very bold, he's very identifiable and he's really the face of what we're trying to achieve.

So I'll let you have a quick look at the video.

I'm running so late for my online date. That office was so busy.

I have really high hopes for this one. He sounds like my ideal date.

Hi. I'm Herbert.

Are you a young professional? Fed up of dating life's Herberts?

Join Cufflinks, the online dating website.

We offer video calls, we limit spam and we match couples through ideal dates.

Cufflinks - for people who don't have time for bad dates.

I'm interested in your understanding of young professionals and the name. There's a lot of them here

-and none are wearing cufflinks.

-You think suit, you think business.

We understand that not everyone wears them, but you still get the idea of the kind of people on there.

Do you not think it's very masculine?

-The one question I do have is the advert. There's an absolute disconnect...

-The TV advert?

-Yeah.

..between the very serious, functional website and the advert.

-Well done. I thought it was really good.

-Well done.

-Well played, dude.

Pitches over.

Next date, the boardroom.

But first... feedback from the experts.

Hi, Lord Sugar.

I was really impressed with how they understood the psychology of online dating.

Good target market, but they missed the mark on the advertising.

OK.

There was absolutely no link whatsoever between the website and the advertising they created.

It seems kind of torn, so I suppose I've got a bit of a task myself to sort out.

You can go through to the boardroom now.

- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon, Lord Sugar.

Advertising. One of my favourite subjects. Although you pitched your adverts to the professionals,

ultimately, having taken on board what they've got to say, I'll decide which campaign is better.

Jordan, tell me how you got on.

Very well. I was straight in to put myself forward as project manager.

Alex also put himself forward.

It was interesting. Alex has used dating websites, had experience, but nobody would vote for you.

How come people don't have confidence in you? Do you know why?

- I don't, to be honest. - How did we get to Cufflinks?

We wanted something for young professionals. We wanted to play on our own experiences.

Cufflinks spoke to our target market. The word "links" referred to linking people together.

Right. Let's run the advert, shall we?

I'm running so late for my online date. The office was so busy. I have high hopes for this one.

Hi, I'm Herbert.

Are you a young professional? Fed up with dating life's Herberts?

Join Cufflinks - for people who don't have time for bad dates.

Hmm. Right.

You went down the humour route.

There's a lot to be said for it. There's a lot of humorous adverts. They must have been successful.

- You do remember the advert... - They certainly remember you in that advert, that's for sure.

-Can I have a look at the web page? This is the web page?

-Yeah.

Before you did this website, had you got a clear idea in mind of what you were peddling?

-What is your story?

-This gentleman, portrayed by Alex, characterises the bad date and what you avoid

-with typical online dating.

-It sounds quite sensible,

but this looks quite serious, quite professional, and it hasn't got him there.

It's not co-ordinated. You need to carry the theme through.

-The website could be integrated better with the TV advertising.

-With Herbert on it.

-But I think that's all it needs.

-Hmm.

Jordan - good project manager?

-ALL: Yeah.

-I'd say good delegator.

-Myles did the pitch, Alex the advert, Leah directed.

-I got the best out of my team.

I've had some feedback that you tend to be the great statesman, but don't like to dirty your hands.

If and when you do choose me to be the winner of this process, I'd have to manage a team of people...

Before that occasion, I need to satisfy myself that you're not somebody

who cleverly stands back and lets someone else do the work.

Moving on to Team Evolve... Luisa, I see you sitting there in the project manager's position.

-I'm intrigued. Jason, you started out as the project manager?

-I started out as the project manager.

-I was elected to be that.

-Jason had run a dating website.

-At Oxford?

-In Oxford.

-The one where you were known as Mr Cupid?

-Yes, I was.

-- So the obvious project manager. - Exactly.

-So I put myself forward.

And...by the end of that day, confidence had fallen so low that I decided it would be better

-that Luisa take over.

-That wasn't how it happened.

You buckled under the pressure, gave up, were not up for the job.

I'll tell you what happened cos I was there. Luisa nipped at his heels like a little terrier,

nipping the heels of a bewildered sheep, and drove him into a corner.

It was the most disgraceful display of bad manners I've seen in many a long day.

Jason took 45 minutes to decide colours on a logo that then ate into our website time.

-Were you not responsible as well? You can't blame him.

-I'd already chosen the colours.

-He took 45 minutes.

-Jason has a lot of responsibility...

Congratulations, because this is the first time we've had an abdication

in all the years that I've been in this boardroom.

It sounds like a bloody mess.

- Who worked on this website? - Jason and I went to the website.

-A ten-year-old could have made this.

-It's a first draft.

-This is not even finished.

-Where did you get this name?

-From the market research.

-At a funeral parlour?!

The problem with the over 50s was we didn't know the market and had to be led by our focus group.

-Some wanted friendship, some wanted romance. We wanted to meet everybody's needs.

-Run the advert.

Friendship and Flowers.

The perfect way to meet new people and share your interest with friends.

Our easy-to-use website, dedicated to the over 50s, lets friendships grow roots and romance blossom.

-Who would have thought friendship...

-And flowers.

-..could have brought us together?

-Who directed the TV advert?

-Francesca, with my support.

We worked really hard to get something that was fast-moving and showed the different elements...

That makes Last of the Summer Wine look like an action movie!

I normally ask, "Good project manager?" but I don't know who I'm asking about here.

I listened to the advisers and, to be honest with you, they are at sea a little bit.

They're torn about your concept. You've got some nutter in there being funny.

And funny adverts do pay off.

But where you failed miserably is the co-ordinating. It's a very good website,

but I'm looking at the overall thing and it's disjointed.

And on your campaign you picked the right market,

but your deployment of it...

They said this is boring, the wink is, like, cringeworthy, it's patronising.

The only thing I can say is it was a cohesive campaign.

I'm going to make a decision.

Because you were on the right track, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, your treat, I'm going to send you to Mayfair. You're going to be sampling caviar.

-Off you go. Have a good time. And I'll see you on the next task.

-Thank you, Lord Sugar.

What a mess.

An absolute, complete and utter mess.

Off you go. Come and see me later on and we'll discuss this further.

Hello.

-On the table now is £35,000-worth of caviar.

-Wow!

-So it's very expensive.

It's almost like...fishy pate.

Oh, yeah.

I thought Lord Sugar was a bit unfair. I was heavily involved in every part of this task,

but I was responsible for the total thing.

-So now you've tasted it, would you buy it?

-I could get into this!

Here's to winning a great task.

'I think the easiest way to describe the performance is a joke.

'Jason wasted the first day, was a weak project manager, but Luisa was 50% responsible.'

Her neck is on the chopping board.

-I'm embarrassed to be a part of it.

-But you ARE a part of it, Neil.

-That's what I'm saying.

-Luisa, did I say...

-Typical Neil. You shirk all responsibility.

I feel like I did the right thing for the greater good. I really do.

But maybe I should have sat back and let it fly. Would it have made a difference? No.

Perhaps we should have let you carry on? It's not your fault that we failed.

I'm sorry if you ever felt I intimidated you or bullied you.

'I do have guts and the decision I took to step down is gutsy in many ways.'

But we all have better to answer.

TELEPHONE RINGS 'Can you send them in, please?

You can go through to the boardroom now.

Who am I talking to here as project manager?

I suppose it's me AND Luisa.

Once you've chosen the over 50s, you wanted your advert to come across as cool over 50s.

-Yeah.

-My words precisely were that the over 50s could be the same as the young professionals.

Why don't we take that fervour of young professionals and inject it into over 50s?

- Where did that go wrong? - The market research hated it.

So you followed the market research?

We had to. We don't know that market.

But you're entrepreneurs. You're putting yourself forward as my potential business partner.

You should be saying, "Thank you, market research people, but I don't agree with you."

- We should have gone with our gut. - Over 50s is a buzzing market. Lots of money there.

You just didn't do it properly. It was as if it was the over 70s!

-Yeah, yeah.

-You're nodding, but you agreed it.

-No, indeed. But I did that on misdirection.

Francesca and Neil should have said, "It's not right," and we would have gone with our original idea.

-So the failure was based on bad market research?

-Bad market research.

The feedback we got was exactly what we gave across.

-Jason then thought, "These are things I wanted anyway..."

-What? No! Not at all.

Our job was to get the market research. We're all responsible for what we came up with.

Let's talk about the TV advert that lost the attention of the advertising agency,

of the website experts and lost my attention.

That was pretty boring stuff. These over 50s, you portrayed them as sitting in God's waiting room.

It was very clear they wanted to keep it on brand and in keeping.

It's boring. That is boring.

Shall we move on? Why did you decide to give up the project manager's decision?

We had arrived at the website designers late, we hadn't had time to fully develop the website

and I put my hands up. That was my fault for not meeting that deadline.

Luisa, I think, was trying to be as helpful as she could be, but it wasn't helping me.

I felt that you were pushing me and trying to get me to hurry up, not in a constructive way.

-Just picture a scenario here and you're in charge...

-Yeah.

-..on the sinking Titanic ship.

- You can't give up, can you? No matter how much browbeating. - It felt like a sinking ship.

If I were in charge of the sinking ship, the women and children...

-All right, OK.

-It's whoever can save the most souls best at that point in time. That was my rationale.

I'm trying to understand whether you were browbeaten by Luisa, browbeaten by Neil,

-two very powerful people.

-It wasn't intimidation.

I felt if I were still project manager, we would still be arguing and it would be directed at me

and that would result in much more time wasted. We wouldn't have a chance to produce anything at all.

This is all personality stuff, this is all bad...

bad team management. I've got a bit of a dilemma now.

I've got two project managers here. So they've got to decide which one of you two is coming back, right?

Yeah, they can decide. Absolutely.

Jason, what is your feeling?

-In the same...

-Don't let her browbeat you again.

Francesca was in charge of the video...

- I would disagree and go with Neil. - You can't even agree now!

I don't know who the project manager is...

-Hold on. You did a website. You didn't even finish it.

-That's why I'm here.

I got the advert done, edited, music, voiceover done professionally, scripted by myself...

-And that was the problem, I suppose.

-My input was a problem? You know what? Bring me back in.

Right, Neil, off you go.

I'm going to ask you to step outside. I need to talk to Nick and Karren.

This is a first. One project manager, two project managers.

Someone's abdicated. It's ridiculous.

-Luisa's very powerful.

-In her defence, Jason tries to come across as a deep thinker.

-He's a ditherer.

-I'm surprised Jason's brought Francesca back.

She was calm, collected. Maybe they're frightened of Neil.

-The question mark with Francesca is did she ask the right questions in the market research?

-Mmm.

TELEPHONE RINGS Can you send the three of them in, please?

Lord Sugar will see you now.

Very unusual circumstances here.

I've got one and a half project managers and even then you can't agree who's coming back in.

You wanted Neil to come back in, you wanted Francesca.

Tell me then, Jason, what Francesca is doing here.

Francesca was creative director for the video, which you didn't like and also part of the focus group.

I feel perhaps Francesca should have interpreted that information...

-I delivered and finished a video for you.

-The video, I think we have heard, didn't work.

The video was professionally done. It wasn't creative and fun because it was for over 50s,

-which you wanted.

-Friendship and Flowers...

-I'm in here...

-..was your name, was it not?

I'm in here because you thought I'm less aggressive than Neil.

Like it or not, the market research changed his mind.

That's when it started to go pear-shaped and she is Friendship and Flowers.

Francesca and I don't always see eye to eye and I think we set off from the start on the wrong foot

with Friendship and Flowers that came from Francesca and Neil, but with regards to delivering

I think Francesca delivered...

-You don't think she should be fired?

-I would have brought Neil back.

You're putting up a good story for Francesca, so who should be fired out of the two of you, then?

I believe I'm a stronger candidate than Jason and he should be fired.

On this task, I felt like I was in a sinking ship all day.

"You've got to lead our team! Stand up! Be a leader!"

-Are you a ditherer, Jason?

-I'm a thinker, Lord Sugar.

-A thinker?

-I do take longer to think about creative tasks.

-So is it impatient people like Luisa

-and you need a bit more time?

-She's like, "Go for it now." Instantly.

-In life, you have to make decisions!

-Bad decisions quickly.

-You'll never get anywhere.

I am impatient. I will put my hand up and say I'm an impatient person, but I do make decisions.

-Jason struggles to decide.

-But he was the project manager.

-If left to his own devices...

-It might have saved it.

-We'd have got nothing done.

-How do you know?

He took 45 minutes to decide on the colours. I kept saying, "Unless we leave..."

-That's your opinion, that's you intimidating him.

-So just let it ride?

We've all had difficult decisions. We've lost tasks, won tasks.

When you faced a hard time and a quick decision, you just went, "I can't do it."

I'll make a new set of rules here. OK? You shut up and you shut up.

-And you talk.

-I think many people are actually seeking the limelight,

they want to put themselves in charge simply for the sake of impressing you

and they do not work for the benefit of the team. Essentially, if the team pulls together and wins,

-the team does not get fired. That is the fundamental rule of business, that teams work together...

-Oh...

- What don't you understand about "shut up"? - Sorry.

-Francesca, you are now very clearly...

-Annoyed!

-..out for blood.

-There is...

-You brought me in here for... Sorry.

Tell me then, Jason, why did you give up the project manager's position?

I stepped down voluntarily. I could have, when the other three said, "We have no confidence in you,"

said, "Shut up! I'm PM. Nobody's ever stepped down and I'm going to run the roost

-"and who cares what happens?"

-Why didn't you, then?

-I took the courageous decision...

-That's courageous?

-Courage comes in many forms.

Stepping down for the unity of the team is courageous.

I felt that the team needed to be rebalanced, so I agreed to Luisa, to balance the team, unify it,

-so that we could work forward.

-Which we did.

-In the wrong direction.

-The direction set by you.

OK, listen, listen...

I don't want to hear any more. I'm done. I'm done. You listen to me now.

Francesca, I understand from Nick and from Karren

that you've been quite good up until now, but your advert, what a total mess.

Jason, last week I thought, "There you are, look at that. Jason's sold a caravan."

I thought you were coming through in this process

and I have to take a decision really and the decision here is that...

Luisa, I'm very, very concerned that we are going to have more problems with you.

-Can I...

-No.

-OK.

I feel that you browbeat this fellow here, that you wore him down.

That's what worries me about you. Are you somebody who doesn't get their own way immediately

so it's no good?

I can see how you wore him down. OK? You won't wear me down, I promise you.

Jason,

you're an academic, you've come here to chance your arm,

but I'm afraid to say that it's the end of the road, really.

-I do wish you very, very well because you're a very nice fellow.

-Thank you very much, Lord Sugar.

And it is with regret that... you're fired.

Thank you very much.

-Just go back to the house, the pair of you. I don't want to see you here again.

-You won't.

-- Go on, go back. - Thank you.

-Thank you.

He's a nice fellow, Jason, but he got beaten up by Luisa.

Next week, I'd like to follow Luisa. I need to be clear in my own mind whether she's a strong businesswoman

or actually she'd just be too hard for you to handle.

We were reaching that stage where I'd have to go for blood.

Everybody is of a very high calibre and I just don't have that killer instinct.

Who was to blame for the mutiny?

Myself and Luisa got pulled up for being overpowering.

He's a nice guy, but he's got to go!

-Hello!

-Here, darling.

-So what happened?

-Jason absolutely deserved to go.

He took me in, but I was absolutely furious with him.

If he hasn't got the self-confidence and can't manage me and Luisa, then he's in the right place - at home.

-The Magnificent Seven!

-Yeah.

Now seven remain.

Lord Sugar's search for his next business partner continues.

Next time:

Your task is to come up with your own ready meal.

I've been royally stitched up by my team members.

Would you get your mum and dad to buy that?

-Heated discussions.

-There's no pow.

Luisa, keep stabbing me.

-And questions of taste.

-You put me off with the packaging.

-In the boardroom:

-Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut. You're fired.

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