The Apprentice (UK series six)

The Apprentice UK
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Series Six

Series Six of The Apprentice (UK), a British reality television series, was broadcast in the UK during 2010 from 6 October to 19 December on BBC One.[1] The schedule for the sixth series was effected by the 2010 General Election, in which Alan Sugar, having recently been made a Lord in the House of Lords,[2] had ties to the political party in charge of Britain's government, forcing its broadcast to be postponed until later that year,[3] while the final episode was aired before the start of the BBC's Christmas schedule for that year, to avoid disrupting it.

This series is the last to feature a six-figure job as a prize for the winner before the prize format was changed in the next series by both Sugar and the production staff. It is also the first to feature Karren Brady as Margaret Mountford's successor to the role of Sugar's aide in the programme, having initially appeared in this role for the first series of Young Apprentice. While Mountford announced the previous year she was leaving the show,[4] she remained a part of it, but in a reduced role, taking Brady's former place in the Interviews stage.[1] Alongside the standard twelve episodes, two specials were aired alongside this series - "The Final Five" on 9 December; and "Why I Fired Them" on 16 December.

Sixteen candidates took part in the sixth series, with Stella English becoming the overall winner. Excluding the specials, the series averaged around 7.87 million viewers during its broadcast.

Series Overview

Upon receiving applications from potential participants, production staff held regional auditions and interviews throughout July 2009, followed by a second round of interviews and assessments in London to determine the final selection of sixteen candidates.[5] Prior to work beginning on the series, Alan Sugar was required to appoint a successor to Margaret Mountford, following her decision to quit her role in the show earlier that year, leading to Karren Brady, one of his interviewers, agreeing to the offer of becoming his new aide on the show. Her appointment was given a trail run during the production and broadcast of the first series of Young Apprentice, before it was finalised. Meanwhile, Mountford agreed to remain on the show, despite her educational studies, taking over Brady's role as an interviewer in the Interviews stage.

Filming for the sixth series began in Autumn 2009, with the intention of the episodes being ready for broadcast in March 2010. However, the announcement that a General Election would be taking place in May of that year, meant that the broadcaster had to postpone the series until the start of October, due to Sugar's then-official ties with the Labour government at the time.[3] In a statement made about the postponement of the sixth series, Sugar revealed that running it during the General Election would have been a risk to the broadcaster's "impartiality" in political matters, due in part to his recent appointment as a Lord in the House of Lords earlier that year;[2] candidates taking part were advised that during filming Sugar was to no longer be referred by to by them as "Sir Alan", but "Lord Sugar" because of his new appointment. The change towards an Autumn schedule for the programme, resulted in the production team seeking to compensate for the delay, leading to the formation of a two-hour special to end the series on - a crossover between both The Apprentice and its sister show, The Apprentice: You're Fired!, on BBC One - a decision that would later lead to further crossover specials being arranged in subsequent series. As part of its production, the episode's format was devised to begin with a short intro by the active host for You're Fired, introducing the special and what was to come, before leading on into the main feature - the series finale of the main show - and then immediately followed by the sister show's segment of discussions and interviews, with subsequent repeats being entirely composed of the main show's series finale only.

For the candidates who took part, the first task saw the men name their team Synergy, while the women named their team Apollo. Prior to the start of filming for the second episode, Raleigh Addington, one of the participants still active in the process after the first task, was forced to drop out of the show after a member of his family member, working in the British armed forces, had been badly injured while on active duty.[6] His departure meant that Sugar could not perform a multiple firing outside of the Interviews stage. Of those who remained, Stella English would become the eventual winner,[7] whereupon she remained in Sugar's employment until issues began to surface in May 2011, whilst working for his company Viglen. Complaining to her employer that she required a new role, as the existing one made her work like a "glorified PA" for Sugar,[8] she would retain such comments for a year until her contract was up, whereupon it would not be renewed. After unsuccessfully suing Sugar,[9][10] she would later face financial difficulties, before eventually securing work with crowdfunding TV channel Crowd Box TV.[11]

Candidates

Candidate Background Age Result
Stella English Head of Business Management 30 Winner
Chris Bates Investment Banker 24 Runner-up
Jamie Lester Overseas Property Developer 28 Fired after Interviews stage
Joanna Riley Cleaning Company Owner 25 Fired after Interviews stage
Stuart Baggs Telecoms Entrepreneur 21 Fired after Interviews stage
Elizabeth Locke Investment Banker 24 Fired after tenth task
Laura Moore Business Development Manager 22 Fired after ninth task
Christopher Farrell Mortgage Broker 28 Fired after eighth task
Sandeesh Samra Recruitment Consultant 26 Fired after seventh task
Alex Epstein Unemployed Head of Communications 26 Fired after sixth task
Paloma Vivanco Senior Marketing Manager 29 Fired after fifth task
Melissa Cohen Food Business Manager 27 Fired after fourth task
Shibby Robati Surgeon and Business Owner 27 Fired after third task
Joy Stefanicki Marketing Director 31 Fired after second task
Raleigh Addington Unemployed Graduate 22 Quit prior to the second task
Dan Harris Sales Director 34 Fired after first task

Performance chart

Candidate Task Number
123456789101112
Stella INWININININININWINBRBRINWINNER
Chris INININWININBRBRLOSEINININRUNNER-UP
Jamie INININLOSEINININBRWININFIRED
Joanna WINBRINININININININWINFIRED
Stuart BRININBRININWINININLOSEFIRED
Elizabeth ININININWININBRINLOSEFIRED
Laura INLOSEININININININFIRED
Christopher INININININWININFIRED
Sandeesh ININBRINBRBRFIRED
Alex BRINININBRFIRED
Paloma ININBRINFIRED
Melissa ININWINFIRED
Shibby ININFIRED
Joy INFIRED
Raleigh INLEFT
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 prior to this task.

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
series		Title Original air dateUK viewers
(millions) [12]
711"Bangers"[13]6 October 2010 (2010-10-06)7.65
Lord Sugar's hunt for his next apprentice for 2010 has begun. For the newest batch of sixteen hopefuls, a midnight briefing in the boardroom gives them their first task - to come up with a unique sausage and manufacture it during the night, before selling it upon the streets of London when morning dawns. Given a crash course in how to make a sausage, the teams soon face raised tempers, messy mistakes and a race to make as much profit as possible. For the losing team, a poor banger will result in a grilling in the boardroom, and a battle amongst its members to avoid becoming first candidate to be fired.
722"Beach Accessory"[14]13 October 2010 (2010-10-13)8.10

For their next task, the teams find themselves looking to create a new beach accessory for those who love to be by the seaside. While designing a new product is one thing, what they offer must impress a trio of retailers into making orders, in which one team struggle to make an impression with their accessory, while the other team deal with conflict over what to agree to. For one team, the sun will be setting on one member within the boardroom.

Notes: Prior to recording for this episode's task, a candidate was forced to leave the programme due to an emergency family matter. The nature of the matter was later revealed on You're Fired! following this episode's broadcast.[6]
733"Bakery"[15]20 October 2010 (2010-10-20)7.53
Yeast will be rising, as the candidates face the challenge of baking an array of goods to sell to business clients and passing trade on London's streets. As the heat rises in their ovens, the teams face a rush to fulfil demands and feed hungry customers with their product, leading to poor management, compromises and complaints for one team that soon leave them feeling the burn of Lord Sugar's boardroom.
744"Selling to Trade"[16]27 October 2010 (2010-10-27)6.49
The stakes are high as the teams look over some new inventions that could drum them up some orders. Faced with pitching what they chose to three of Britain's biggest retailers, good pitching is the key to victory, though one team soon face problems with their choices and problematic team members, that soon land them with a battle for survival within the boardroom.
755"Fashion"[17]3 November 2010 (2010-11-03)8.20
The remaining eleven candidates head for Europe's largest shopping centre in Manchester for their next task from Lord Sugar. Both teams must each secure the right to represent an up-and-coming designer's line of new clothing, and then demonstrate their skills to promote and market this fashion within an allocated shop space within the shopping centre. Good pricing and clever tactics will secure sales, as losing will leave one candidate facing a dressing down in the boardroom.
766"Advertising"[18]10 November 2010 (2010-11-10)7.56
Creating a brand for a new product is a tricky business, but both teams face this challenge as they work to design the branding for a new kitchen cleaner and an advertising campaign to promote it. A lack of focus soon produces ideas that leave the candidates facing questions, concerns and criticism over what they produce. For one team, their concept eventually leaves them cleaning up a mess when Lord Sugar determines who has won a clean victory with their ideas.
777"DVD"[19]17 November 2010 (2010-11-17)7.71
For their next task, Lord Sugar challenges the candidates to come up with a unique personal film experience, made via greenscreen, to sell to shoppers within Westfield London. Stretching their creative skills to the limits to make a profit, the teams try to create something worthwhile for customers to enjoy, but soon face issues with poor leadership and disorganisation. For one team, these issues snowball into major problems that leaves a tense situation in the boardroom as each member argues for their survival.
788"Crisps"[20]24 November 2010 (2010-11-24)8.07
Lord Sugar is keen for both teams to help represent two small British crisp manufacturers, by creating two new flavours that can secure them new markets in Hamburg. While each team face the challenge of making appealing flavours to sell, both face a clash of cultures and a language barrier with potential customers, as they try to make as many sales as possible. For the losing team, one member will soon have to say auf wiedersehen when they come into Lord Sugar's firing line.
799"Discount Buying"[21]1 December 2010 (2010-12-01)7.53
Lord Sugar has another list of ten items he wants his teams to each get for bargain prices. With only ten hours to get what is required, there's a stark contrast in negotiating skills demonstrated by each team, which soon leaves one of them trying to negotiate for their survival back in the boardroom.
8010"London Tours"[22]8 December 2010 (2010-12-08)8.14
Tourism is a lucrative business, and both teams soon find themselves creating a unique tour experience for London's tourists, complete with open-top buses for them to use. As both seek a way to maximise profits while offering a satisfactory service, including the opportunity to get in sales from a tourist office, each soon clash with the other to get in customers and make an impressive win that avoids them being the firing line of the boardroom.
81SP 1"The Final Five"[23]9 December 2010 (2010-12-09)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.
8211"Interviews"[24]15 December 2010 (2010-12-15)8.77
For the remaining five candidates, its time for the penultimate task - a gruelling interview process with four of Lord Sugar's closest business associates. As each candidate's background, work experience and performance on the tasks comes under scrutiny, there is criticism abound as lies are exposed and less than satisfactory answers are given, which soon influence which two candidates Lord Sugar deems as worthy enough to fight for his job offer in the final.
83SP 2"Why I Fired Them"[25]16 December 2010 (2010-12-16)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 selling sausages and clothing, to the debacle over a cleaning product's branding, he relieves all of the mistakes and doomed decisions that were made, and gives out his reasons for what made him fire a candidate in that respective task.
8412"The Final"[26]19 December 2010 (2010-12-19)8.63

For the two finalists, one last task remains between them and a future job with Lord Sugar - each must come up with their own new brand of premium alcoholic drink, and then promote it with a strong marketing campaign. With help from old friends, they soon face issues coming up with a drink that will taste fine, a bottle will stand out, and a TV advert of good quality. In the end, only one finalist will impress and win the right to become Lord Sugar's apprentice for 2010.

Notes: When this episode was first broadcast, it originally formed part of a two-hour crossover special with the programme's sister show, The Apprentice: You're Fired. After the crossover special, the episode was broadcast separately in subsequent repeats.

Criticism and controversy

Aftermath of Series 6 Final

Following the end of the sixth series, both the producers and Alan Sugar were forced to change the programme's format and the prize from winning it to an investment from Sugar, due to the difficult circumstances that were brought about by Stella English. A few days after winning, she immediately quit from the job she won, after describing it as "a sham", before making complaints against Sugar's response to her decision to leave, and then later attempting to sue him on the basis of constructive dismissal. While the case ended in it being dismissed by a tribunal judge, on the grounds that she was less interested in appreciating what she had been offered and desiring nothing more than the luxurious lifestyle it potentially offered her, the aftermath of this decision earned further media attention that eventually led to a rethink on what the programme offered to participants.[27][10]

Ratings

Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[12]

Episode
no.		AirdateViewers
(millions)		BBC One
weekly ranking
16 October 20107.657
213 October 20108.107
320 October 20107.538
427 October 20106.4910
53 November 20108.207
610 November 20107.569
717 November 20107.717
824 November 20108.076
91 December 20107.538
108 December 20108.147
1115 December 20108.779
1219 December 20108.6310

Specials

SpecialAirdateViewers
(millions)		BBC One
weekly ranking
The Final Five9 December 2010N/AN/A
Why I Fired Them16 December 2010N/AN/A

References

  1. 1 2 "The Apprentice series six: introduction" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 28 September 2010.
  2. 1 2 Karren Brady: 'I love The Apprentice, it's one of the best experiences of my life' The Observer, 28 February 2010
  3. 1 2 "Apprentice delayed until summer". BBC News. 10 November 2009.
  4. ↑ Daniel Kilkelly (6 June 2009). "Margaret Mountford quits 'The Apprentice'". Digital Spy.
  5. ↑ "The Workings Of The Apprentice". BBC.
  6. 1 2 Rachel Quigley (13 October 2010). "Apprentice candidate quits after brother is blown up by Taliban". Daily Mail. London.
  7. ↑ "An ice cold Stella for Lord Sugar". London: The Sun. 21 December 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  8. ↑ Jefferies, Mark (28 May 2011). "The Apprentice winner Stella English demands a new job from Lord Alan Sugar – and gets it". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "Apprentice winner Stella English loses case against Lord Sugar". The Guardian. London. 12 April 2012.
  10. 1 2 Judd, Terri (12 April 2013). "'Tantamount to blackmail': Apprentice winner Stella English is the loser over dismissal claim". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "Apprentice winners through the years – and where they are now". Daily Star. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bangers, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  14. ↑ "Beach Accessory, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  15. ↑ "Bakery, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  16. ↑ "Selling to Trade, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  17. ↑ "Fashion, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  18. ↑ "Advertising, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  19. ↑ "DVD, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  20. ↑ "Crisps, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  21. ↑ "Discount Buying, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  22. ↑ "London Tours, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  23. ↑ "The Final Five, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  24. ↑ "Interviews, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  25. ↑ "Why I Fired Them, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  26. ↑ "The Final, Series 6, The Apprentice - BBC One".
  27. ↑ Claire Hodgson (26 September 2013). "The rise and fall of The Apprentice's Stella English". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
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