The Apprentice (UK series eleven)
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Series Eleven of The Apprentice (UK), a British reality television series, began broadcasting in the UK during 2015 from 14 October to 20 December on BBC One; due to the 2015 General Election being held in Spring, which Lord Sugar had ties to, the BBC postponed the series' broadcast until the middle of Autumn. Although Claude Littner featured before as an interviewer for the process, a role he still retained, he was revealed as Nick Hewer's replacement following Hewer's departure, making this his first series as Lord Sugar's adviser.[1] Following the previous series, the show increased the number of candidates taking part from 16 to 18, with Sugar promising that those who participated would be older and "more serious".[2] For the 18 candidates who took part, their teams were named Versatile and Connexus, with Joseph Valente winning the series.
The show's schedule was similar to the previous series, with two specials airing alongside it towards its final weeks, both being new editions - "The Final Five" on 9 December, and "Why I Fired Them" on 16 December.
Candidates
| Candidate | Background | Age | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Valente | Plumbing business owner | 25 | Winner |
| Vana Koutsomitis | Social media entrepreneur | 27 | Runner-up |
| Richard Woods | Marketing agency director | 31 | Fired after Interviews stage |
| Gary Poulton | Programme manager | 34 | Fired after Interviews stage |
| Charleine Wain | Hair and beauty salon owner | 31 | Fired after Interviews stage |
| Brett Butler-Smythe | Builder | 28 | Fired after tenth task |
| Selina Waterman-Smith | Events agency owner | 31 | Fired after ninth task |
| Scott Saunders | Senior account manager | 27 | Quit after ninth task |
| David Stevenson | Marketing company owner | 25 | Fired after eighth task |
| Sam Curry | Private tutor | 23 | Fired after seventh task |
| April Jackson | Boutique owner | 26 | Fired after sixth task |
| Mergim Butaja | Sales account manager | 23 | Fired after sixth task |
| Elle Stevenson | Operations executive | 21 | Fired after sixth task |
| Natalie Dean | Corporate account manager | 25 | Fired after fifth task |
| Ruth Whiteley | Training consultancy owner | 47 | Fired after fourth task |
| Jenny Garbis | Business management student | 23 | Fired after third task |
| Aisha Kasim | Inventor and hair extensions specialist | 30 | Fired after second task |
| Dan Callaghan | Fragrance retailer director | 23 | Fired after first task |
Performance chart
| Candidate | Task Number | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| Joseph | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | BR | LOSE | IN | IN | HIRED | |
| Vana | IN | BR | LOSE | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | RUNNER-UP | |
| Richard | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | BR | FIRED | ||
| Gary | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | LOSE | BR | BR | FIRED | ||
| Charleine | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | BR | IN | LOSE | FIRED | ||
| Brett | BR | IN | IN | IN | BR | WIN | BR | IN | IN | FIRED | |||
| Selina | WIN | IN | IN | BR | IN | IN | IN | WIN | FIRED | ||||
| Scott | IN | IN | IN | LOSE | IN | IN | LOSE | IN | LEFT | ||||
| David | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | BR | IN | FIRED | |||||
| Sam | IN | IN | IN | IN | LOSE | IN | FIRED | ||||||
| April | LOSE | IN | IN | IN | IN | FIRED | |||||||
| Mergim | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | FIRED | |||||||
| Elle | IN | IN | BR | IN | IN | FIRED | |||||||
| Natalie | IN | BR | IN | IN | FIRED | ||||||||
| Ruth | IN | IN | IN | FIRED | |||||||||
| Jenny | IN | IN | FIRED | ||||||||||
| Aisha | IN | FIRED | |||||||||||
| Dan | FIRED | ||||||||||||
Key:
- The candidate won this series of The Apprentice.
- The candidate was the runner-up.
- The candidate won as project manager on his/her team, for this task.
- The candidate lost as project manager on his/her team, for this task.
- The candidate was on the winning team for this task / they passed the Interviews stage.
- The candidate was on the losing team for this task.
- The candidate was brought to the final boardroom for this task.
- The candidate was fired in this task.
- The candidate lost as project manager for this task and was fired.
- The candidate left the competition after this task.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | 1 | "Fish Food"[3] | 14 October 2015 | 8.03 |
| Lord Sugar begins a new search for a business partner for 2015, though with a more experienced group of eighteen candidates hoping to win his life-changing investment. In their first task, they must rise early to purchase fish and then remake it into some tasty treats to sell to hungry Londoners. Problems soon arise as one team face a disaster in their kitchen that loses them some of their stock, while the other struggle with a delay in making their products and facing tough customers on the streets. It's soon clear that while some candidates have the keen skill to sell, others face the unforgiving prospect of the boardroom when they can't float a kipper of a sale, leaving them vying to blame one another and avoid being the first to go. | ||||
| 142 | 2 | "Advertising - Cactus Shampoo"[4] | 15 October 2015 | 7.41 |
| Given a blank bottle of shampoo each, the teams face the task of creating a brand for it, along with an advertising campaign, in which emphasis must be placed on its key ingredient - cactus-seed oil. One team opts to make a brand that targets the over-50s, while the other team design a brand just for men of their age, but its not long before they face issues as they get to work on their adverts. When it comes to pitching their concept to the industry experts, one concept proves to be a simple and effective winner, while the other is ruined by poor pitching, leaving the associated team in a lather when they face Lord Sugar in the boardroom. | ||||
| 143 | 3 | "Cross-Channel Discount Buying"[5] | 21 October 2015 | 7.86 |
| Lord Sugar has a new list of items he wants, but there's a twist - half of the purchases have to be found around Kent, and the other half have to sought out across the Channel in France. With teams split in half to seek out bargains, one half face the difficulty of having good negotiators who can overcome a language barrier. It's not long before there are arguments within sub-teams, confusion and disarray, as candidates seek to have their purchases ready by the deadline, with those in France needing to be back on the ferry by that time or risk being fined. As spending costs are totalled up, the losing members are soon left facing the boardroom and rowing with each other to avoid hearing "You're Fired" for their dismal efforts. | ||||
| 144 | 4 | "Pet Show"[6] | 28 October 2015 | 7.39 |
| Britain's pet owners lavish much attention on their pets with a variety of accessories. As many prepare to descend on the London Pet Show to see the latest designs, Lord Sugar assigns the candidates the task of picking out products that pet lovers will love when they visit the event. Faced with a fascinating range of choices to pick, its not long before their selections lead to issues on both sides, as one team struggle with a distracted leader, and the other face problematic sales people. For the losing team, members fight like cats and dogs as they each seek to avoid being put away in the boardroom kennels. | ||||
| 145 | 5 | "Children's Book"[7] | 4 November 2015 | 7.40 |
| Many people have turned a hand at writing a best-selling children's book for young readers to enjoy, and Lord Sugar is determined to see his candidates come up with a brand new one that can help young kids learn to read. As the candidates put their creative skills into overdrive to create both a written and audio version, both teams begin to flounder on the job and find the quality of their work soon raising questions. Selling their work soon leads to each team facing a stumbling block with retailers and clashes between candidates. A last-minute sale soon proves decisive for one team, leaving the other facing the boardroom and one member leaving without a happy ending to their story. | ||||
| 146 | 6 | "Handy Man"[8] | 11 November 2015 | 7.67 |
| Given each a van with tools in, teams face the challenge of creating and running their own handy-man business, drumming up trade while also vying for one of two contracts Lord Sugar has arranged. As the candidates get underway to make money, there are DIY mistakes abound, as teams make mistakes, customers are left less than satisfied, and someone is under-qouting on jobs. For one team, an overzealous effort on a contract and several lucrative jobs secure them a well-made victory, while the losing team face a spanner in the boardroom works as more than one member faces trouble in the firing line. | ||||
| 147 | 7 | "Discount Store"[9] | 18 November 2015 | 7.12 |
| With discount shops becoming commonplace across Britain, Lord Sugar challenges the team to set up their very own store in Manchester, selling wholesale items that can be considered a bargain for potential customers. With unbranded items the key to a good profit, teams search for the right deal with wholesalers, and then set to work selling to customers making up a ton of assets. Tempers soon flare as there are arguments on how to entice customers, attempts to poach business from the other team, and insults traded between candidates. When the results are in, one team soon face visiting the bargain bin of the boardroom and showing that they are a deal worth keeping in the process. | ||||
| 148 | 8 | "Party Planning"[10] | 25 November 2015 | 6.92 |
| In their next task, teams work to create an enjoyable and memorable children's party for their parents. Setting up the right activities and providing good service on their £2,000 budget are key to ensuring customer satisfaction is high enough to avoid refunds. As both teams get underway to set up their own themed party, plans soon come undone, as one team struggle with a tight-fisted leader holding all the purse strings and delays in the kitchen, while the other team face communication problems, negotiation difficulties, a fright-induced parent, and poorly made party gifts. For the losing team, they face a memorable time when they come under Lord Sugar's scrutiny in the boardroom. | ||||
| 149 | 9 | "Property Agents"[11] | 2 December 2015 | 6.98 |
| As new properties are built across London, the need to find future tenants and owners leaves a market available for property agents with a skill to sell. Lord Sugar is confident has candidates can sell a range of mid and high-end properties between them, tasking them to make as much commissions as they can with the sales they set up with discerning buyers. As there is a split over which is best - the soft sell or the hard sell- some candidates find this a dream job to handle, while others face a truly nightmarish time as they face mounting problems to make sales. In the boardroom, there's a surprising revelation when one candidate decides they can no longer handle the pressure, while another in the losing team soon find themselves becoming the next to hear the immortal words no candidate wishes to hear. | ||||
| 150 | 10 | "Health Snack"[12] | 9 December 2015 | 7.07 |
| Keeping healthy is not just about exercise, but also about diet, and Lord Sugar desires his candidates to create a brand new range of health snacks that retailers will find appealing to sell. As teams get to work designing their products, one opting for snack bars and the other for dehydrated vegatable crisps, the finished concept soon proves problematic for both, as one side deal with criticism over their snack's poor texture and branding, while the other face an issue with their snack's packaging and the overuse of olive oil in its production. When it comes to the boardroom, there's a surprising decision with the feedback, that land both teams in hot water and candidates facing a fight to prove their effort had fewer flaws than the others. | ||||
| 151 | SP 1 | "The Final Five"[13] | 9 December 2015 | N/A |
| As this year's series of The Apprentice draws closer to its finale, this special episode takes a look at profiling the true story behind the five remaining candidates. Discussing their backgrounds, experiences, personality, and strengths and weaknesses, are a selection of each candidate's friends, family and colleagues, as well as Lord Sugar's aides, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady. | ||||
| 152 | 11 | "Interviews"[14] | 16 December 2015 | 7.47 |
| For the remaining five candidates, having worked together on a range of different tasks testing their business skills, they now undertake penultimate challenge separately - a gruelling interview process with four of Lord Sugar's closest business associates. As each candidate faces scrutiny over their personal lives, CV credentials, and business proposals, interviewers soon show no mercy as they give out concerns and criticism, hitting out with tough questions to keep each on their toes. When their feedback is received in the boardroom, it soon leave Lord Sugar with a tough decision on which two are worth the risk to allow into the final and battle for his investment. | ||||
| 153 | SP 2 | "Why I Fired Them"[15] | 16 December 2015 | N/A |
| As the final looms, Lord Sugar takes a look back to the tasks he set for this year's series of The Apprentice. From the surprising aftermath of selling properties and the disastrous challenge of making health snacks, to the skilful work on branding shampoo and the pedigree selling of pet accessories, he relieves all of the mistakes, disasters and doomed decisions that were made, and gives out his reasons for what made him fire a candidate in that respective task when their arguments were not enough to survive the firing line in the boardroom. | ||||
| 154 | 12 | "The Final"[16] | 20 December 2015 | 6.61 |
| For the two finalists comes the last challenge between one of them and a life-changing opportunity. With help from old friends, each face the task of setting up a presentation, outlining to an audience of industry experts what their business proposal entails - its name, its goals, its customers, and its business structure. As proposals are brought to life, one finalist face issues with their concept's logo, public feedback, and minor concerns from the experts, while the other faces issues at bringing their idea within a competitive market and financial worries. When pitches are over and experts have spoken, Lord Sugar faces a difficult choice on which proposal is worth the risk and which finalist will become his business partner for 2015. | ||||
Criticism and controversy
Selina Waterman-Smith
Throughout October, several media articles raised questions over the handling of problematic candidates during and after filming of a series. This came after reports came out that Selina Waterman-Smith had been involved in a physical altercation with Charleine Wain and received a warning over this from the show's producers, had sent out several critical tweets about the show making her out as a "pantomime villain", and had mocked Claude Littner and Karren Brady on social media. She later refused to take part on You're Fired following the episode featuring her dismissal; in a tweet she later deleted, she stated she had "broken contract" with the show, because of how she had been treated.[17][18][19] The following year, Waterman-Smith accused the BBC of treating the candidates harshly when they took part in the show, but this accusation was dismissed by Series 12 candidate Oliver Nohl-Oser, who stated the complete opposite by commenting that candidates were "wined and dined" and not deprived of anything, adding that candidates know it "was always going to be tough" and that they would only come across tired if they were "determined and thick-skinned and work hard".[20]
Richard Woods' health
Questions were raised over the checks made by production staff about the fitness of candidates taking part in the show, when it was revealed in an interview, released to the media on 16 December 2015, that Richard Woods had not disclosed his medical information when applying for the show, over concerns that this would have made appear "weak" and "stressed". Prior to submitting his application, Woods did not inform the producers that he had suffered three mini-strokes, and that he had delayed a procedure to his left eye, aimed at improving his eyesight, in order to avoid wearing an eyepatch, but later admitted that this decision had left him at risk of losing his sight and suffering a further stroke that could have potentially been fatal. A spokesperson for the show denied that there was any risk to Woods, pointing out that candidates had access to good healthcare, and that the show's doctor had seen no issues for Woods to take part in the series.[21][22]
Week Three's Result
Following the broadcast of the third episode, Daniel Lassman, a candidate on the previous series, heavily criticized Lord Sugar on Twitter over his decision to allow Versatile's purchase of a toy rubber dinghy. His criticism was directed toward the controversial nature of the decision, in comparison to one made by Sugar in the tenth series, in which he had disallowed a purchase made by Lassman's team of a paper skeleton, for not being the real thing despite the team's interpretation of the specifications not stating this to be the case. Lassman considered the decision to be a joke, and was among several viewers who accused Sugar of having double standards.[23]
Ratings
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[24]
| Episode no. | Airdate | 7 day viewers (millions) | 28 day viewers (millions) | BBC One weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 October 2015 | 7.93 | 8.03 | 3 |
| 2 | 15 October 2015 | 7.22 | 7.41 | 7 |
| 3 | 21 October 2015 | 7.70 | 7.86 | 3 |
| 4 | 28 October 2015 | 7.25 | 7.39 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 November 2015 | 7.23 | 7.40 | 5 |
| 6 | 11 November 2015 | 7.57 | 7.67 | 4 |
| 7 | 18 November 2015 | 6.97 | 7.12 | 6 |
| 8 | 25 November 2015 | 6.65 | 6.92 | 6 |
| 9 | 2 December 2015 | 6.77 | 6.98 | 6 |
| 10 | 9 December 2015 | 6.91 | 7.07 | 5 |
| 11 | 16 December 2015 | 7.39 | 7.47 | 3 |
| 12 | 20 December 2015 | 6.52 | 6.61 | 10 |
Specials
| Special | Airdate | 7 day viewers (millions) | 28 day viewers (millions) | BBC One weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Final Five | 9 December 2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Why I Fired Them | 16 December 2015 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
References
- ↑ Adam Sherwin (27 April 2015). "Apprentice series 11: Claude Littner to replace Nick Hewer as Lord Sugar's aide". The Independent.
- ↑ Emma Daly. "The Apprentice 2015 to be more serious: it's not Geordie Shore". Radio Times.
- ↑ "Fish Food, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Advertising - Cactus Shampoo, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Cross-Channel Discount Buying, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Pet Show, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Children's Book, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Handy Man, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Discount Store, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Party Planning, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Property Agents, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Health Snack, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "The Final Five, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Interviews, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Why I Fired Them, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "The Final, Series 11, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Apprentice candidate Selina Waterman-Smith lashes out at the show - and says she won't go on You're Fired". BT.com.
- ↑ "Did The Apprentice 2015's Selina Waterman-Smith reveal that she DOESN'T win? - Daily Mail Online". Daily Mail.
- ↑ Danny Walker (29 October 2015). "'Hated' The Apprentice contestant Selina Waterman-Smith SLAMS the show saying that she's 'broken her contract' with the BBC". mirror.
- ↑ "The Apprentice 2016: Oliver Nohl-Oser hits back at contestant's ckaims candidates are "starved"". Express.co.uk.
- ↑ "Richard Admits Medical Deception". NME. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ↑ "Richard's Medical Lie". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ↑ "Toy Dinghy Purchase Slammed by Ex-Contestant". Express. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ↑ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
External links
- Official site BBC