The Apprentice (UK series four)
From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki
| The Apprentice UK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Four | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series Four of The Apprentice (UK), a British reality television series, was broadcast in the UK during 2008 from 26 March to 11 June on BBC One.[1] Production of the series took place the previous year between September and October,[2] with auditions and interviews reported to had taken place in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol during the first two weeks of July 2007,[3] with a record of 20,000 applications made for participation on the show to be on the show that year.[4] Sixteen candidates took part,[5] and the two teams were named Alpha and Renaissance throughout its run, with Lee McQueen winning the series.
Four specials were aired during 2008 – "The Worst Decisions Ever" on 3 April, "Motor Mouths" on 18 April, "The Final Five" on 2 June, and another edition of "Why I Fired Them" on 8 June.
Candidates[edit]
| Candidate | Background | Age | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee McQueen | Recruitment Sales Manager | 30 | Winner |
| Claire Young | Senior Retail Buyer | 29 | Runner-up |
| Helene Speight | Global Pricing Leader | 32 | Fired in the Final |
| Alex Wotherspoon | Regional Sales Manager | 24 | Fired in the Final |
| Lucinda Ledgerwood | Risk Manager | 31 | Fired after Interviews stage |
| Michael Sophocles | Telesales Executive | 24 | Fired after tenth task |
| Raef Bjayou | Entrepreneur | 27 | Fired after ninth task |
| Sara Dhada | International Car Trader | 25 | Fired after eighth task |
| Jennifer Maguire | Marketing Consultant | 27 | Fired after seventh task |
| Jenny Celerier | Sales Manager | 36 | Fired after seventh task |
| Kevin Shaw | Bank Manager | 24 | Fired after sixth task |
| Lindi Mngaza | Business Liaison Manager | 22 | Fired after fifth task |
| Simon Smith | Senior Satellite Television Engineer | 35 | Fired after fourth task |
| Ian Stringer | Software Sales Manager | 26 | Fired after third task |
| Shazia Wahab | Mosaic Artist and Company Director | 35 | Fired after second task |
| Nicholas de Lacy-Brown | Trainee Barrister, Artist and Property Developer | 24 | Fired after first week |
Performance Chart[edit]
| Candidate | Task Number | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| Lee | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | HIRED | |
| Claire | WIN | IN | IN | BR | WIN | BR | BR | IN | BR | BR | IN | RUNNER-UP | |
| Helene | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | LOSE | IN | BR | IN | FIRED | |
| Alex | LOSE | IN | IN | BR | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | FIRED | |
| Lucinda | IN | BR | IN | IN | LOSE | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | FIRED | ||
| Michael | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | BR | BR | BR | FIRED | |||
| Raef | BR | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | FIRED | ||||
| Sara | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | BR | IN | FIRED | |||||
| Jennifer | IN | IN | IN | IN | BR | IN | FIRED | ||||||
| Jenny | IN | LOSE | IN | IN | IN | IN | FIRED | ||||||
| Kevin | IN | IN | BR | IN | IN | FIRED | |||||||
| Lindi | IN | IN | IN | IN | FIRED | ||||||||
| Simon | IN | IN | BR | FIRED | |||||||||
| Ian | IN | IN | FIRED | ||||||||||
| Shazia | IN | FIRED | |||||||||||
| Nicholas | 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.
Episodes[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 1 | "Fishy Business"[6] | 26 March 2008 | 6.73 | |
| A new search begins for Sir Alan's next apprentice. For the new batch of sixteen candidates taking part in 2008, their first task is quite fishy - to sell £600 worth of seafood at one of several markets across London. As profit is important, the two new teams must first identity which fish is the most valuable, a task that can make or break either, and which soon proves difficult for both. Only the best team will show they know the value of their kippers, and thus avoid being in the firing line as the first candidate to go. | |||||
| 42 | 2 | "A Dirty Job"[7] | 2 April 2008 | 6.73 | |
| Both teams find themselves operating laundry service, where customer satisfaction will ensure a tidy, clean profit. As one team shows how efficient they can be, the other team struggles as errors in their work begin to effect their performance and leaving them soon hung out to dry in the boardroom. | |||||
| 43 | SP–1 | "The Worst Decisions Ever"[8] | 3 April 2008 | 2.07 | |
| In a special episode, former candidates from the past three series and celebrity fans look back over some of the worst decisions made within the tasks that Sir Alan set out in his search for an apprentice. | |||||
| 44 | 3 | "Cooking with Gas"[9] | 9 April 2008 | 7.32 | |
| Pubs are usually known for serving good cuisine, but for a couple with no previous history of offering food, each is about to receive a themed food day from one of Sir Alan's team of candidates. Tasked with managing costs, including the purchase of ingredients from wholesalers, the teams must come up with a theme that will be a hit, and provide meals that will be a winner with the pub patrons. For the losing team, it will be last orders for one member when they return to the boardroom. | |||||
| 45 | 4 | "Photo Finish"[10] | 16 April 2008 | 7.43 | |
| Running a photography business is never easy, but its the next task for the remaining thirteen candidates, as they try to provide calssy photos for passing customers. Both teams run in to trouble, from communication issues, to lack of technical know-how, and clashing personalities. For one team, the issues faced by them leave them with less of a photo finish when they return to the boardroom. | |||||
| 46 | SP–2 | "Motor Mouths"[11] | 18 April 2008 | 1.73 | |
| In a special episode, former candidates and celebrity fans look back upon those candidates who failed to impress Sir Alan across the past three series. | |||||
| 47 | 5 | "Mid-Series Sales"[12] | 23 April 2008 | 7.85 | |
| Ice cream is quite a business, especially for farms that specialise in producing it. For the candidates, their next task is to help a couple of these farms open up new markets, by creating three new flavours and selling them to potential new customers within London. As orders are made, one team makes a decision that proves to be a grave mistake, and lands someone in deep trouble with Sir Alan in the boardroom. | |||||
| 48 | 6 | "Yours Truly, Angry Mob"[13] | 30 April 2008 | 7.28 | |
| There are many types of greeting cards to choose from, but Sir Alan is confident his candidates can create a new range for retailers to sell. One team believes a card for the single person will be ideal, while the other team find themselves forced onto a theme that soon proves questionable when pitched. For the losing team, the mistakes they make soon have them wishing they had a greeting card for being brought back to the boardroom. | |||||
| 49 | 7 | "Marrakesh"[14] | 7 May 2008 | 7.17 | |
| Both teams find themselves heading to Marrakesh, each on the hunt for a set of items that Sir Alan wants. Seeking out bargains by using their best negotiating skills, it soon proves problematic for one team, as disorganisation leads to mistakes. It soon leads to a heated boardroom argument amongst the losing team, in which more than one member faces being in the firing line back in the boardroom. | |||||
| 50 | 8 | "Wedding Hell"[15] | 14 May 2008 | 7.11 | |
| Finding the right dress and accessories for a wedding is one thing, but for both teams, they must find the right combination to make good sales with at the National Exhibition Centre. While one side focuses on mid-range dresses and wedding cakes, the other team opt for high-end dresses and bridal lingerie to secure victory. As the candidates face difficulties on the task, only the best team will be making Sir Alan happy as a bride in the boardroom. | |||||
| 51 | 9 | "Tissues"[16] | 21 May 2008 | 5.73 | |
| Left with a blank box of tissues each, the teams find themselves tasked by Sir Alan to create a brand for them and an advertising campaign to promote it. As the teams work to provide a pitch that will win over the advertising executives, one side faces issues with their brand and production issues for their adverts, while the other face trouble from their box design and pitch presentation. For one candidate, they made need a tissue or two, when they face being in the firing line in the boardroom. | |||||
| 52 | 10 | "Re-inventing the Wheel"[17] | 27 May 2008 | 6.84 | |
| To drive in a luxury sports car is quite a thrill, which is exactly what the teams are offering as they each rent out a set of classy models in the hopes of making good sales. As candidates work to show how good they can sell the cars they're offering, it isn't long before some are struggling to strike up a deal. For the losing team, one member will soon have to enjoy something less luxurious when Sir Alan questions them on their performance. | |||||
| 53 | SP–3 | "The Final Five"[18] | 2 June 2008 | 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 Sir Alan's aides, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford. | |||||
| 54 | 11 | "Interviews"[19] | 4 June 2008 | 7.94 | |
| For the five remaining candidates, its time to go solo and show what they're made of as they undergo a gruelling interview process with four of Sir Alan's trusted business associates. As they find their backgrounds, work experience and performance on the tasks put under stern scrutiny, there is praise and criticism abound amongst the candidates. But in a surprise twist, the choice of who goes into the finals leads Sir Alan to announcing that only one person will be not moving on when he reviews the feedback on their interviews. | |||||
| 55 | SP–4 | "Why I Fired Them"[20] | 8 June 2008 | N/A | |
| As the final looms, Sir Alan takes a look back to the tasks he set for this year's series of The Apprentice, from the shopping trip in Marrakesh, to the greeting cards designs and luxury rental car challenge, reliving all of the mistakes and doomed decisions that were made, and what made him fire a candidate in that respective task. | |||||
| 56 | 12 | "The Final"[21] | 11 June 2008 | 9.29 | |
| With four finalists, Sir Alan splits them into two teams and gives them one final task - to create a new line of male fragrance, and then market it. With help from old friends, both teams of finalists work to creating a concept that can win, though each finalist has a lot to prove, for whichever team wins, it will be down to their future boss to decide who becomes his new apprentice for 2008. | |||||
Criticism and controversy[edit]
Alleged effects on candidate's health[edit]
Following her appearance on The Apprentice, Helene Speight made allegations against the programme, claiming that it had a bad influence on people who took part, stating that participating on the fourth series had been the worst mistake she ever made, after it "made her life a nightmare" and caused her serious health worries. These allegations were made, after it was revealed that she had collapsed with stress during filming of the series and had to be rushed to hospital, before later being diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome after the producers took her to Princess Grace Hospital in London's West End to be checked over, when she began feeling sharp abdominal pains during filming of the eighth episode. In an interview she made, she noted that:[22]
"The doctors said it was all due to the pressure of the show and the diet I was eating. Hours later I was getting a boardroom grilling from Sir Alan after the wedding task. I was shaking with nerves convinced I was about to throw up all over Sir Alan and his sidekicks, Nick and Margaret."
Death threats to candidates[edit]
After their participation on the show, two contestants claimed that they had received death threats. The first to reveal such threats, Nicholas De Lacy Brown, claimed that they had come from the show's viewers, with the messages threatening to either harm him or give explicit intent to kill him, with one message reported to read as "If I see you, I'll hurt you". However Nicoholas commented that he remained defiant and that he wouldn't be intimated by such messages.[23] The second to receive threats, Alex Wotherspoon, was reported to having one of them, an e-mail, being investigated by the BBC.[24]
Ratings[edit]
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[25]
| Episode no. |
Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
BBC One weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2008 | 6.73 | 8 |
| 2 | 2 April 2008 | 6.73 | 9 |
| 3 | 9 April 2008 | 7.32 | 6 |
| 4 | 16 April 2008 | 7.43 | 5 |
| 5 | 23 April 2008 | 7.85 | 5 |
| 6 | 30 April 2008 | 7.28 | 5 |
| 7 | 7 May 2008 | 7.17 | 5 |
| 8 | 14 May 2008 | 7.11 | 6 |
| 9 | 21 May 2008 | 5.73 | 9 |
| 10 | 28 May 2008 | 6.84 | 6 |
| 11 | 4 June 2008 | 7.94 | 4 |
| 12 | 11 June 2008 | 9.29 | 1 |
Specials[edit]
| Special | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
BBC Two/One weekly ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Worst Decisions Ever | 3 April 2008 | 2.07 | 15 |
| Motor Mouths | 18 April 2008 | 1.73 | 25 |
| The Final Five | 2 June 2008 | N/A | N/A |
| Why I Fired Them | 8 June 2008 | N/A | N/A |
References[edit]
- ↑ "So you think you can be Sir Alan's next Apprentice?". Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
- ↑ "Simon Cox : lighting cameraman". Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ↑ "The Apprentice Series 4 online application form". Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
- ↑ "The Apprentice – Let the boardroom battle commence!", BBC Press Office, 18 March 2008
- ↑ "Meet this year's boardroom..." Metro. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
- ↑ "Episode 1, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 2, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "The Worst Decisions Ever, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 3, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 4, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Motor Mouths, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 5, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 6, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 7, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 8, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 9, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 10, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "The Final Five, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Episode 11, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One". Missing or empty
|url=(help) - ↑ "Why I Fired Them, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "The Final, Series 4, The Apprentice - BBC One".
- ↑ "Apprentice made me a MONSTER Helene says show wrecked her". Daily Mirror. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- ↑ "'Apprentice' reject receives death threats". Digital Spy. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ↑ "Return of the rejects: Fired Apprentice contestants back for a special last show". Daily Mail. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ↑ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
External links[edit]
 |
Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Apprentice (UK) |
|
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Sir Alan Sugar |
This article "The Apprentice (UK series four)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:The Apprentice (UK series four). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
