The Apprentice UK - Series 17 (2023) | "Generic worm"

michaelhird

michaelhird

I thought Karen would have gone down the route of female empowerment, building them up. But no, she absolutely annihilated them which was hard to watch.

The whiplash was real when she appeared caring in the boardroom, what is the truth.gif.
 
C

Crayons

Yeah I think I'm out, I was umming and ahhing over to watch this season when the cast was released and there wasn't a single dark skinned woman in what seemed to be the biggest cast yet which I found suspect to say the least.

Last night's episode was genuinely horrible to watch, I know the interviews have always been a bit extra but it isn't fun to watch people be broken down to the point of tears. I think it's telling that in previous years the candidates would at least try to bat back but it seems like they were all either broken down by the process or just wise to the fact the edit would never let them come across competent that they just accepted whatever criticism came their way and swiftly fucked off.

Hoping for a Rochelle win and a successful salon in fucking Belgravia that will always be too busy for Karen to get an appointment.
 
toby3000

toby3000

I don't think the interviews were any meaner than usual - I think the problem has been the candidates.

The candidates used to come across as a) more competent, b) more corporate and c) more deluded. So a piercing of that at the interview stage worked, and didn't seem like it was being mean to complete idiots.

I also think a big problem with the format is that now it has to be a business they invest in, but the range of businesses owner who would go on the show is severely limited.
 
2014

2014

Staff member
The guy that isn't Claude always having props to hand ffff. I was rooting for a Rochelle/Dani final, so I'm hoping the former wins now.
 
N

nathanspears

I always hate the excuse they use as well in these situations on reality TV. America's Next Top Model said the same thing. "This is what it's like in the industry, if you can't handle it here you have no chance".

This isn't what it's like at all and if it is, move companies straight away. No one wants to work in these environments. It's toxic.
 
Alphableat

Alphableat

toby3000 said:
I don't think the interviews were any meaner than usual - I think the problem has been the candidates.

The candidates used to come across as a) more competent, b) more corporate and c) more deluded. So a piercing of that at the interview stage worked, and didn't seem like it was being mean to complete idiots.

I also think a big problem with the format is that now it has to be a business they invest in, but the range of businesses owner who would go on the show is severely limited.
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It’s automatically meaner by virtue of Claudine not being one of the interviewers. Even at its meanest, she was always there to draw out a bit about the candidates’ backgrounds. That’s where we’ve had tears in previous seasons.

(Except Brittany last year. But that interview was also mean-spirited.)
 
michaelhird

michaelhird

Alphableat said:
It’s automatically meaner by virtue of Claudine not being one of the interviewers. Even at its meanest, she was always there to draw out a bit about the candidates’ backgrounds. That’s where we’ve had tears in previous seasons.

(Except Brittany last year. But that interview was also mean-spirited.)
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YES. Whatever happened to Claudine? If she jumped ship, well, Im not surprised.

She was the perfect interviewer, even when it felt like she may have gone too far, at least she was aware of it and genuinely comforted the candidates.

What occured on last night's episode was too much and I'm glad it's being picked up in regional and national news rags.



I did laugh.

 
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StratusJM

StratusJM

Claudine's substitution with Karren was really felt. I'm so curious if she was absent through her own choice or if she was replaced due to this season's general obsession with choosing the nastier option at every opportunity. I didn't think the episode gained anything from Karren's presence as an interviewer.

The interviews were always going to be a struggle (disastrous business plans could be seen coming a mile off), but I agree with everyone in here about the tone of both this episode and the season in general. Very early in the episode you could tell that some of the candidates (Victoria in particular) had resigned themselves to just being punching bags for the whole day. I really hope that next year will be a course correction.
 
Holly Something

Holly Something

I genuinely don't think I'll be watching next series. It's a joke that they've made all of the candidates this series look like complete jokes, only to drag them and their business plans to hell and back at the "interview" stage. Like, why did you cast them?

The guests weren't even entertaining in their meanness, it was just hard to watch. Also, you can't really call it an interview when you're asking barely any questions and then not listening to the answers. Such a terrible terrible series.
 
The Rural Juror

The Rural Juror

michaelhird said:
I thought Karen would have gone down the route of female empowerment, building them up. But no, she absolutely annihilated them which was hard to watch.

The whiplash was real when she appeared caring in the boardroom, what is the truth.gif.
Click to expand...
In previous seasons (Season 4 I think), before Karren was an advisor, she was on the interview panel sometimes and definitely played the Claudine role. She definitely wanted to understand the person, what motivates them etc., Rather than grill them harshly.

I think the show is getting unnecessarily cruel and is no longer a credible business, or even entertaining, show.

I'm sure if a candidate presented a perfect business plan and already had a business, they would be relentlessly grilled on why they hadn't succeeded and probably be deemed "difficult to work with".

(Side note: Also if such a candidate/person had a perfect plan, then The Apprentice would be a terrible way to get an investment considering you could get the investment in a less risky and embarassing manner.)

If the business plan they scrutinize in the interview is the one that they used in their application, then it is completely unfair that they aren't allowed to amend it. I'm sure candidates learn a lot through the tasks and want to amend their initial projections etc. And if they don't amend their plans, then this is a red flag and they should be rightly grilled on it, but in a more constructive manner.

I would be intrigued to know if Alan/Karren/Claude/Linda/Mike knew how to write a (perfect) business plan when they were first starting out. My guess is no, and they have had to learn and be guided by someone more experienced. It's almost like they were an Apprentice ...
 
GodsAndMonsters

GodsAndMonsters

Alphableat said:
It’s automatically meaner by virtue of Claudine not being one of the interviewers. Even at its meanest, she was always there to draw out a bit about the candidates’ backgrounds. That’s where we’ve had tears in previous seasons.

(Except Brittany last year. But that interview was also mean-spirited.)
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Yes! I was trying to think what it was missing and it was definitely Claudine. Although I'll never forget when she goaded Joanna Jarjue into crying then went back and told Alan Joanna was too emotional. I've always looked at her sideways since then.
 
M

Mike

I stopped watching this after the 2019 series, so I'm confused by some of the supposed 'new developments' detailed on the last few pages e.g. incompetent contestants, overly harsh interviews, pointless and tedious tasks, business plans that don't stand up to a second's scrutiny? Most of these are the reasons I gave up on it.
 
Matgo

Matgo

toby3000 said:
I don't think the interviews were any meaner than usual
Click to expand...

Yeah I remember when Margaret returned to do the interviews, Stuart Baggs got similar treatment when he used her first name.

That said, I can't help feel Karren has been a lot sharper all series and it almost seems like she's auditioning for the main job, as if she knows Alan's due to stand down or something.
 
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