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SHOW STARTS:

This week, the candidates are called to meet Lord Sugar at London's famous Savoy Hotel to be briefed on their next task. After a 220 million pound refurbishment, the hotel requires a number of last-minute items prior to its grand reopening...

Oooh, it's gonna be a race against time people!

The teams have just nine hours to find ten products, and their powers of negotiation will be under scrutiny as they must haggle for the best price. This is all about profit! You spend the least and return with the most, it's job done.

Who'll be next to look down Lord Sugar's firing finger of fate?

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Okay, so the boys really have to up their game tonight. They've racked up two losses and Leon's on his last legs. Lord Sugar made no bones about it, he's out on his ear if he lands in the bottom three tonight.

The multi-millionaire shuffles the teams. Susan steps up as PM for Venture and Gavin lands the lead role for Logic.

Each team receives their wad of cash, business directories and maps...

The list is long and includes chandelier bulbs, organza, fillet steak (Aberdeen Angus) and a top hat... more to come.

Natasha wastes valuable time for Gavin's team. She comes up with the idea of contacting one of the Savoy's main competitors to ask for their suppliers list - as if! "Sure, we've taken years building up relationships with our suppliers and we're just gonna hand the list over to you!" Pff.. Judge Karren Brady is not impressed. Me? I can't believe it's 11am and they still haven't left the meeting room yet.

Nick Hewer has an eye brow raised and a thumb up for Susan Ma. "She's managing a group of egotistical people and she's doing very well." Can't say I'm surprised by that statement, Vincent's heading the table like the Godfather, snatching the phone during appointment making and interupting negotiations... oh dear.

Susan's team have sourced eight of the ten items and are off. They fall at the first hurdle with the top hat as they had no idea how expensive it would be - should have priced the items too!

Sub-team leader Jim Eastwood saves the day with the Aberdeen Angus. The butcher will not budge from £200 on the steak, but he's got the gift of the gab and brings him down to £180. Then to top it off, he clips off another tenner at the till! "

"I'm an Irish bulldozer of charm and it's all about negotiating. I just think people buy from people, if I knew what rapport was then I'd bottle it and sell it."

Back with Susan and they've gone to grab the topper. It's an epic fail as they can only reduce the price by a penny - £349.99. Ouch"

More on the list... A catering cloche (Gavin's boys got 44p off) and a brass sign for the wine seller. After setting a starting price of a tenner, Gavin's team end up paying a whopping £80! Same goes for the Aberdeen Angus and they think they've done well. Just wait till they discover that Jim got it £25 cheaper.

More from the list: 3ply 500 rolls of toilet paper, tea and crushed ice...

The tables turn, Susan just paid 25% more than Gavin on the organza fabric. The shops they've found are in central London and the most expensive with little scope for negotiation.

Some of the items start to arrive at the Savoy. Lord Sugar set a deadline of 5pm for all items and there'll be a penalty for wrong or missing items - the Savoy list price plus 50 pounds.

Again Susan's headed for a high price vendor ' The Rare Tea Company'. She negotiates £410 for Camomile Tea and thinks she's done the deal of the day. The vendor was looking for £990! Unfortunately they paid £187 more than Gavin.

Both teams will receive penalties, neither of them have completed the list.

THE BOARDROOM:

The team agree that Susan was a great team leader but Lord Sugar is less than impressed with her choice of suppliers. "You went to Mayfair! It's not a pound shop kinda place."

Over to Gavin and he gets gold stars for the suppliers he chose but thumbs down for time keeping and organisation. "You didn't leave the hotel till 11... and you didn't even know what a cloche was."

THE RESULT:

Venture

Found 9 Items

Their fines were: £22.75

Total: £1382.69

Logic

Found 6 Items

Their fines were: £312 68

Total: £1389.20

It's a win for Susan by eight pounds.

Lord Sugar turns to Gavin, "You only got 6 items, you deserved to lose."

It's true, they had the right idea on price but took too long to get out there - they ran out of time, simples!

WHO GOES?

Gavin is literally squirming, there's no excuse. He tries to say that the problem was finding suppliers but Lord Sugar stops him dead. "I left you at 8am and you didn't leave the room until 11. Susan's team found their leads and left. "

Vincent leaps on the 'bash Gavin' bandwagon and before you can say 'Aberdeen Angus' he's pointing out that 'Gav didn't have a clue what he was doing' and they just didn't get out there in time.

Gavin looks to lay blame and he points the finger at Zoe and Vincent. Vincent "couldn't run a bath" and Zoe "made no deals and didn't negotiate". Zoe shakes her head, she tries to say that she did her bit by finding phone numbers - are you kidding me?

"I didn't just write a number on a piece of paper... I looked in several phone books!" Oh, well that's a good ten hours work right there, not!

Lord Sugar listened intently to Vincent but is the first to point out that was trying to take over the whole time. "I heard that you snatched the phone out of people hands as they were negotiating and even took over other people's deals".

Gavin's bringing back Vincent and Zoe...

Vincent makes it clear that he was the one that secured the beef and made the deals. He adds that he left a good impression and could return and 'deal' with them again tomorrow.

Zoe isn't happy being brought back. She doesn't feel she had a chance to shine but Al scoffs, "that's your problem!". She negotiated no deals and spent her time acting like Vincents PA finding numbers...

Lord Sugar's heard enough. "Vincent, I don't like people that ignore their instuction and go off and do it in their own direction. Zoe, you say you've not had a chance to shine well next time I'll be watching. Gavin, you've got your own business and claim you can organize people but then let them run riot. You had no control."

"I've got to judge this on this task, that's what I have to do. And because this task was out of hand... Gavin, YOU'RE FIRED!

"Lord Sugar's made a mistake firing me, he's looking for a business partner not an employee. If he'd rather have someone like Vincent good luck to him.."

Did the right man go?

I think it should have been Zoe to be honest, at least the others tried. Gavin had a lot of promise, but his management skills were lacking - time and people, two of the biggest things in business. No need to worry about Vincent, he'll always have a job with the Musketeers to fall back on.

Click the discussion box below to leave your views...

Selena x

This week, the candidates are called to meet Lord Sugar at London's famous Savoy Hotel to be briefed on their next task.

After a 220 million pound refurbishment, the hotel requires a number of last-minute items prior to its grand reopening.

The teams have just nine hours to price up and find ten products, and their powers of negotiation are pushed to the limit as they attempt to haggle their way to victory.

Judges Nick Brewer and Karren Brady watch on as the candidates get increasingly desperate to tick off their items and score a bargain.

Last minute deals are struck as time runs out, but will the hotel's general manager be impressed with what they've found?

Join me tonight from 9pm to find out! As always I'll be here to blog the show live, leave my views and chat. I can't wait to hear what you think of the candidates performance.

See you then!

Selena x

Apprentice candidates Glenn Ward and Zoe Beresford have reportedly been doing more than compete!

Outside the boardroom, (ask anyone at the water cooler) and they'll tell you that the pair have been in a casual relationship for the past 6 months.

The Metro newspaper quotes a source from the show saying, "After filming finished they met up for dinner and Glenn told Zoe he had feelings for her…He made the first move and they have been dating casually since the end of December."

The News Of The World published a similar story and their own source said Glenn and Zoe 'had instant chemistry'.

The question is... if all this was going on alongside the competition, did Lord Sugar get wind of it? We all know he hates relationships getting in the way of business and the sparks are sure to fly!

Ooooh, can't wait now!

Click the discussion bar to leave your views...

Selena x

SHOW STARTS:

Wow, talk about turning a show on it's head!

Lord Sugar has scoured the country for Britain's entrepreneurial elite and with his decision made, those 16 business brains must face-off for the first time tonight! The multi-millionaire tycoon has 12 gruelling tasks in store but with common sense, a burning passion for business and a blend of leadership and teamwork, it should be a walk in the park for them right? (I know, I'm laughing too!)

In a shock twist, Lord Sugar has decided to scrap the idea of offering The Apprentice a position in his firm. Instead he's opening his wallet as well as his vat of experience and the prize is truly life-changing. This year's successful Apprentice will be asked to come up with a winning business idea. This stroke of genius will then form the basis of a partnership with Sugar and he'll be coughing up £250,000 of investment - wow!

"I'm going to inject £250,000 worth of cash and value into a business, your business, and you're going to run it. And I say you're going to run it because don't expect me to be doing all the work because I'm not looking for a "sleeping" partner. I'm not Saint Alan, the patron saint of bloody losers... You can look at it as a bit of an uncivil partnership, so to speak."

"I want you to treat this first task as if it's your own business. Here's something to note, this is an investment, and I want some return on my money."

Click here to meet the candidates...

THE TASK:

As always 'the boss' has a back to basics task to settle them in and this year they might as well be in an east-end market - it's all about fruit and veg!

The candidates must buy the produce, add value to it and sell it to the public under the strict scrutiny of judges Nick Hewer and Karren Brady. The decision of how to spend Al's cash is theirs but if there's no return, Lord Sugar will not "be a happy bunny".

But with the job with Alan Sugar scrapped, will he still be able to say, "YOU'RE FIRED!?" God I hope so!

Line of the show from Melody... "Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there's footprints on the moon!" Now come on, how many of those clichés are we going to hear over the next three months?

Sir Alan hands over £250 to each team. It's boys V's girls and as they travel to their luxury apartment, they take the chance to size each other up. Poor Helen, their eyes are rolling as soon as she mentions her position in 'a bakery', it doesn't have the same punch as working alongside the Dalai Lama does it?

Oooh, battle of wills alert - Melody V's Helen. First up is the team name. Helen suggests 'Galvanised' for obvious reasons but Melody interjects with 'Venture'. "Meaning new, ambitious..."

Helen silences the room with her idea and grinds her teeth as the girls raise their glasses to Team Venture!

(Let's be honest, Galvanised was a bit lame... they're not buckets!)

The boys opt for Team Logic, which redefines lame. Name for a pub quiz team, yes... for a business team? Computer says no.

Edward volunteers to be project manager. Considering this is a sales task, is it wise to opt for an accountant who 'rolls with the punches'? The guy happily admits that he's an 'accidental professional' and isn't a salesman by any means. He's hoping his team will 'roll with the punches' too (If he says it again I swear..!)

Gavin volunteered to but didn't get the vote. Edward jeers at him the minute he pipes up and I have to say I'm shocked, Gavin would have been the better choice. He's a business manager who sells.

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Back to Melody and Helen and they're at it again. Helen volunteers to be Project Manager but is shot down in flames when Melody says she's doing it. There was no debate, she decided, she pointed out her product sales experience and mentioned her work with Desmond Tutu... and the girls fall hook, line and sinker.

Helen, speak up woman - Jeeze! Don't drop your head and close your mouth. Who was it who said, "I don't think there's anything that I set my mind to that I haven't achieved". Epic fail!

So it's 50/50 with Melody at the mo. Is she intriguing you or annoying and pushy? I'm opting for the latter right now.

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Enough of the bickering and off to the markets we go.

The girls have decided to make fruit salads and veggie pasta, while the boys are 'hitting them hard' with juice and soup. Are you buying this?

Sorry for break in service, but I'm busy hitting my head on the desk... Glenn just asked "is that an orange?" and Vincent's reply? "I don't know." Lord Sugar, what have you done!

And let's not forget that the boys are buying soup ingredients when they have no idea how to make soup... Shall we just hand the prize to the girls now?

After saying he's going for the lowest price, Edward fails to negotiate on the oranges - 1400 for £150. No wonder the vendor said they've no clue what they're doing.

Glenn and Joe aren't happy and I'm not surprised. They're bickering with Edward over position and profit margins and Ed's eyes glaze over. The money is just slipping through his fingers and there's no plan of action. The team members have no set roles and no one has a clue what they're doing - can you say car crash telly?

Jim makes a complete idiot of himself by negotiating a tomato price with a woman who has no tomatoes (guffaw!)
Thankfully he regains his dignity with some slick negotiation on peppers and onions - essential to add flavour to tomoto soup. I'm impressed.

Why on earth are they bothering with soup though? If they have no clue they should have just gone with the juice - one sure fire seller if you ask me and only one ingredient to buy... profit, profit, profit!

The girls have their claws out now.
Edna's holding the wad of cash and makes it clear that "no one buys without coming to me about the money".

Melody steps back after making a couple of decisions on the fruit and Susan shines. She slashes price tag after price tag for the girls but is belittled mid-deal as Edna complains that she's "making decisions" and not including her. Can somebody shake these candidates? The deal's done, the price is low - this is what it's all about Edna! Hand over the cash before the vendor changes his mind! Gold stars Susan...

Can I just point out that Edna did a marvelous job supervising the cash - not! Buying time is up and she's still holding half the money. This is an investment task for crying out loud, if you don't buy you have nothing to sell.

The teams are off grinding, juicing and chopping and before you know it, it's time to set up their pitch. The girls have an ingenius idea to offer a meal deal as well as flogging their food individually, unfortunately it's a concept that can't fly when their pasta sits undercooked in the kitchen. Thankfully the boys have no problems with their food, their issue was technical. One by one the juicers exploded through over use - more time was needed for production!

The fruit salads are selling like hot cakes and PM Melody is mortified to hear that the pasta is not on the way. They miss the lunchtime rush and end up trying to palm the 'undercooked ragu' off to the teatime stragglers.

The boys sell from their pitch and decide to hit the offices in the West End too. Judge Karen Brady tickles me. She cringes describing Vincent, "He thinks he's a ladies man, he's gone right into the ladies, giving it all the chat and flirting. Stragely enough it's working and they're buying it!"

What did I say about the orange juice?
The punters buy unit after unit but their stock runs out with sales left to make. The soup is dead in the water.

We have one team who didn't spend their money and another who didn't have the products to sell, tough to call. I think the girls could take it with the fruit pots.

THE BOARDROOM:

Ouch! I get the feeling Edward's gonna get it.

Lord Sugar goes straight for the jugular and after reminding him that he was trained my one of the best accountancy firms in the country, he asks why he had no interest in figures. "When you're squeezing the juice orange by orange, you should be thinking about what you're gonna sell it for".

Edward utters some tot about prices being 'bottom up not top down' but Sugar ain't buyin' it. Need I remind you Edward that you are being filmed? The Boss can see and hear everything you've said, including that you 'don't have time for working out profit margins and that stuff!' Pfff...

It goes from bad to worse when Karen points out that Ed was lucky to have Jim as a negotiator. After paying a huge price for the oranges, Jim landed the soup ingredients for just £40.

I think Edward's making a noose. "What was important was the production, the product would sell itself. The price can be changed like that." Sugar's not impressed, "When you sell something you need to know what price you're going to sell it for!" Vincent shakes his head, "This is all wrong, we worked out that we had to sell 250 units to get you your money back." You may have done Vince but your Project Manager didn't.

Over to the girl's and Melody's looking smug. "I was the PM Lord Sugar. I've always been the one who takes risks, this was a bold risk and I took it."

It seems Al's finger isn't hovering over Melody, but Edna. She squirms as he kicks off about the cash. "If I wanted you to spend 170 quid, I'd have given you 170 quid. I gave you £250".

Melody tries to flip it, "we thought if we held on to what we could it would raise our end profit". You had £70 left to spend and could have quadrupled that in fruit pot sales, it was about investment. How many times...?

THE RESULT:

The boys make £432 altogether but the girls take it with £555 on fruit pots alone.

Champagne reception for the ladies... decision time for the boys.

Edward chooses Gavin and Leon to return to the boardroom. It's sour grapes if you ask me, Gavin may have spent a lot of time 'in the van', but Edward took an instant dislike when Gavin volunteered for PM.

Leon messed up making the juices sure, but machines will burn out when no time has been allocated to prepare the product - the responsibility of the Project Manager.

Unfortunately for Edward he says "it's nothing personal" about Gavin "he's just not a doer!" As the Project Manager he should know that Gavin was the second biggest seller, he didn't. Karen Brady has great joy pointing that out.

Lord Sugar agrees that Leon's technical problems were down to poor organisation and time management. He has 'no clue' why Gavin is there, "You sell well and you did your job".

Here it comes!

Was there any question?

"Edward, I kind of admire your enthusiasm to take on the team leader role but clearly you had no expertise. You just tried to do it all in your head. What you need to learn in life is not to be ashamed of what you're doing."

Edward says that if anything he is guilty of being too ambitious, but he led well. The multi-millionaire disagrees, "You didn't lead. Basic simple mathematics is what you do as a day job, but you chose not to use it. You wanted to show that you could do something else and that's nonsense."

"You say I'm Lord Sugar's dream but with the greatest respect you've been a bit of a nightmare - YOU'RE FIRED!"

Edward storms out without a word.

"At the end of the day Lord Sugar didn't see what he wanted with me... I'm only 25, the world is my oyster. I'll roll with the punches."

Grrr....

Click the discussion bar below to leave your views...

See you tomorrow for the next exciting installment.

Live Blog starts at showtime!

Selena x

Leon Doyle

A Director and Founder of an online takeaway ordering site and publishing business, Leon lists Richard Branson and Apple as his inspirations.

"I'd be surprised if people had done the same thing as me in a year period."

Alex Britez Cabral

"I've got a good head on my shoulders. I'm intelligent, driven, ambitious."

This London based Estate Agent Manager has flipped failing business after failing business and made a profit!

Melody Hossaini

"I want to be more than just average, average was never good enough for me."

Iranian Melody speaks five languages and has won the 'Woman of the Future' award for her charity work. She runs a youth consultancy business and has worked with no more than 12 Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Felicity Jackson

"Lord Sugar will find it difficult to get a word in because I'm very chatty."

Felicity is a Creative Arts Entrepreneur. After starting out in children's entertainment, she's built a business developing the careers of upcoming actors.

Edna Agbarha

"I'm the type of person who likes to get to the root cause of the problem."

Edna is a life coach and business psychologist. She holds a bachelors degree and two masters... not bad considering she started out on a market stall eh?

Susan Ma

"I'm very easy to talk to, I'm very enthusiastic, I'm very easily amused as well."

Susan studied Philosophy and Economics at University. Her first ever job was selling skin care products and she's still doing it - from market stall to big business in one hit!

Ellie Reed

"I'm just a nice person really, but I have got a dark side if somebody treats me badly."

Ellie started out delivering papers in Bradford then attempted to start her own business during the recession. Needless to say, it worked! She's now a Managing Director and can't wait too get her teeth into Lord Sugar's tasks!

Helen Louise Milligan

"I don't think there's anything that I set my mind to that I haven't acheived."

Northern lass Helen studied law at university, though she's always worked with food (go figure?)
After starting out as a waitress, she quickly climbed the ranks to become a restaurant manager before landing an Executive Assistant post at a bakery.

Natasha Scribbins

"I'm tenacious, I'm charming, I'm witty."

Natasha is a Divisional Manager of a recruitment firm. She started out cleaning bakeries for a living.

Vincent Disneur

"I have an unprecedented amount of business acumen."

Regardless of being Glasgow-born, Vincent is half Belgian and half Swiss. He's a perfectionist who admires Richard Branson and Bill Gates. This Sales Manager would have loved to have been the mind behind Microsoft. They are fab aren't they? (LOL!)

Jim Eastwood

"I'm charismatic, creative, consistent with impeccable integrity."

From working in his father's chippy, Jim's now flying high as a sales and marketing manager - talk about leaps and bounds?

Edward Hunter

"I’m the wheeler dealer who accidentally became a finance professional."

Straight after university, Edward applied for a role in a global professional services firm in London. He was hired on the spot as Senior Associate in the audit team before becoming an accountant at a FTSE 30 energy company.

Gavin Winstanley

"I've done it all, I've been the best at everything I've ever done."

Gavin was a sales manager by the age of 16. After realising the huge profit margins made from spectacles, he went on to start up his own online opticians.

Tom Pellereau

From sorting agricultural bulbs for a living, Tom's hit the big time after turning his hand to inventing. His latest prototype is already on the shelves of two leading pharmacies!

"I do personally think I have the ability to think differently from other people."

Glenn Ward

"To be honest, I am pretty great."

(Yep, I laughed at that one too!)

Glenn's a huge fan of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. He's a Senior Design Engineer with a love of all things technical.

Zoe Beresford

"I'm immensely driven, and I don't stop until I get what I want."

Zoe bought a house with her sister at the age of 12. She joined the family business straight from university and after working in sales and marketing, she's now a project manager.

Zoe was awarded the ‘Rolls-Royce Manufacturing Technology Prize’ for the highest dissertation mark in the school of engineering.

So... What do you think of this year's candidates?

Any jumping off the page yet?

Any you'd like to see the back of?

Click the discussion bar below to leave your views...

Who will land that £250,000 investment?

I can't wait to find out...

Don't forget to join me LIVE on Tuesday from 9pm to discuss their performance, their blunders and the show.

I think this could be the best series yet!

Selena x

Wow, talk about turning a show on it's head!

Not only will Apprentice fans be treated to two episodes during launch week, but Lord Sugar has flipped the entire concept of the show and has a shock in store for the candidates.

The Apprentice returns on Tuesday the 10th of May with Episode 2 close behind on the 11th.

Lord Sugar has scoured the country for Britain's entrepreneurial elite and with his decision made, those 16 business brains must battle it out. The multi-millionaire tycoon has 12 gruelling tasks in store but with common sense, a burning passion for business and a blend of leadership and teamwork, it should be a walk in the park for them right? (I know, I'm laughing too!)

In a shock twist, Lord Sugar has decided to scrap the idea of offering The Apprentice a position in his firm. Instead he's opening his wallet as well as his vat of experience and the prize is truly life-changing. This year's successful Apprentice will be asked to come up with a winning business idea. This stroke of genius will then form the basis of a partnership with Sugar and he'll be coughing up £250,000 of investment - wow!

"I'm going to inject £250,000 worth of cash and value into a business, your business, and you're going to run it. And I say you're going to run it because don't expect me to be doing all the work because I'm not looking for a "sleeping" partner. I'm not Saint Alan, the patron saint of bloody losers... You can look at it as a bit of an uncivil partnership, so to speak."

"I want you to treat this first task as if it's your own business. Here's something to note, this is an investment, and I want some return on my money."

The candidates' include an inventor, a business psychologist, a former cycling champion, an estate agent, an accountant and entrepreneurs in fields as varied as creative arts, organic skincare and fast food.

As always 'the boss' has a back to basic task to settle them in and this year they might as well be in an east-end market - it's all about fruit and veg!

The candidates must buy the produce, add value to it and sell it to the public under the strict scrutiny of judges Nick Hewer and Karren Brady. The decision of how to spend Al's cash is theirs but if there's no return, Lord Sugar will not be happy.

But with the job with Alan Sugar scrapped, what will his final words in the boardroom be? He can no longer say, "YOU'RE FIRED!"

Upcoming tasks include, designing a mobile phone application, tests on the beauty industry, creating a new pet food, launching a magazine, exploring the lucrative possibilities of biscuits, transforming rubbish into money, starting a restaurant chain and trading internationally.

Who will land that £250,000 investment?

I can't wait to find out...

Join me tomorrow to meet the candidates and LIVE on Tuesday from 9pm to discuss their performance, their blunders and the show. I think this could be the best series yet!

The Live Blog is running now...

As always click F5 to refresh as we go along and click the discussion bar below to leave your views...

Who will fall at the final hurdle and who will leave the boardroom as Lord Sugar's Apprentice 2010?

Click the disussion bar below to leave your views...

SHOW STARTS:

Tonight I'm hoping that investment banker Stella takes the crown. I really can't take any more of Chris. If he rambles on about being revered by his (A-level) peers as a theology scholar one more time, I may have to choke myself on the nearest 24 carat gold 'tikka'.

Lord Sugar commends the finalists but reminds them there's only room for one winner. He's the first to say they'll need help for the task in hand and introduces a few old faces.

Chris and Stella choose their teams (see pic above) and we're off and running...

Sugar: "Selling alcohol is one of the oldest trades in the world. You're gonna be creating your own premium alcoholic drink. You're going to make the drink, brand it and pitch to a team of experts".

There's everything from whisky to alco-pops to choose from, the only catch is that the tipple must be aimed at the over 25's.

A quick brainstorm later and Stella decides to concentrate on the Market Research before they make any decisions. Chris's team come up with the idea of a Pomegranate drink.

Hmmm... I'm not convinced Stella's team are thinking this through. They meet their first group for market research and suggest some sort of 'berry flavoured bourbon', can you say vile and outdated? Women won't go for it and I'm not sure if men would want a blue beverage with their cigar. Does anyone still drink bourbon these days?

Surely the best plan would be to go for something mass market rather than so specific?

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Good lord, there's five minutes remaining before they meet the designers and they still don't know what they're doing!

They're going with a sweet spice and honey bourbon and calling it 'Urbon' as in urban. Great name but I'm 35 and as part of their demographic, I wouldn't drink it! Though I'm happy to taste test a free bottle LOL!

Chris's beverage sounds far more palatable, white rum and pomegranate. Sadly the project manager is unhappy as it's impossible to create a clear liquid as he'd hoped. He's worried that the pink drink will have more female appeal but the others disagree - it's closer to red than pink Chris, at least wait until you've seen it.

The design samples arrive and both teams are overjoyed with the look of their product. The bottle of Urbon is standard in shape but makes up for it in design - a natty font and toffee coloured liquor makes for a tempting treat!

Chris went with the name 'Prism' in the end and although the bottle design is innovative, it reminds me of perfume rather than plonk! I'm sure it would look fabulous spot-lighted on a high-end bar - lethal in a brawl though, it'd be the first one I'd grab!

...The problem with this task is that it's so hard to judge without tasting the goods, the experts will base their decision on that as well as the pitch.

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If the decision was based on who was most prepared, Stella would be out the door right now. Chris is rehearsing his presentation speech and Stella's yet to write hers!

Thankfully the pair take the advice of their team mates and pull it together. Chris calls on Jamie as his pitch is monotone and he needs help to add excitement. Stella pulls in Paloma to help her write her speech, she doesn't manage her first rehearsal till 5pm and the experts are arriving at 7pm. Will she still wow them?

THE PITCH:

Over 100 experts, manufacturers and retailers attend the presentation as well as the boss!

I'm impressed with Chris's ad. His presentation is still far too dry but he holds it together and even manages to make them laugh.

I felt a little smug when he was asked about the retail of this item. The triangular bottle will cause issue as it's all about units on the shelf at the end of the day. Thankfully he brushes this off and points out that they were careful to concentrate on the size of the bottle so there'll be little difference.

Also it's one in the eye for Karren Brady. She was complaining about how much Chris was fussing about his ad and that time would run out, but it paid off. The 30 second piece said far more than Stella's. As well as close ups of the drink and a serving suggestion, it included three people from different walks of life - the professional male, the party girl and ladies who lunch.

Did anyone else find Stella's ad a bit lame?

The actors didn't look like they were enjoying the drink and it ruined it for me. Stella was quite static (and again corporate) in her pitch though she opened up towards the end and did pull a giggle.

I had to laugh myself when she said she'd be drinking Urbon in her 'country pad' if this all went well - Sugar was tickled and it reminded me of her time on the tour bus. This girl could pull it out of the bag here you know.

Who would you go for?

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THE DECISION:

Lord Sugar is proud of his final two. "Whatever happens, you both should be very proud of yourselves".

Stella came out on top when it came to the presentations. The judges agree that the play on the word 'Urban' is very clever and the retailers had far more time for the taste and the design - units on shelves you see. There was little mention of the ad though and I'm not surprised.

Chris is commended for his efforts but it seems the triangular bottle said 'scent' and was over indulgent. I'd lije to think he was ahead with his advert but English pipped him on branding.

Stella pleads her case: "I've been very proud of what I've done but I think my mistake is concentrating on the abilities you know about. I have many more skills to offer, I'm not an accountant and it's not what I do. My job is to come up with new ideas..."

Chris avoids the academic clap-trap and instead makes a bloody good point. "Yeah there have been people here who have a lot more experience than me, but I have a lot of potential. Take yourself back to when you were my age, if someone put £100,000 on you then that would be a good investment right now" - Alan smiles...

Stella knows he's hit a note with Sugar, it's time to dig your heels in girl! "Chris is an intelligent guy but I'm here for the job. I'm not here for the competition, I don't care about that. I've got a family to support and I've got a lot of passion that Chris doesn't have. I think you'd be mad not to employ me. Everything I want I always get, I will not let go. That's a passion that allows you to achieve". Okay, okay stop! You're on the verge of begging and you'll put him off.

Decision made: "You handled that presentation and you're well liked, I think you have the determination to get on with anything you set your mind to. I've also taken note of where you've come from. You don't have the qualifications and all that but you're here and that shows me how determined you are".

I've made my choice and I'm not worried about the other person as we have two great people here...

STELLA, YOU'RE HIRED!

"It's all been worth it, all those weeks. I wanted to prove to all those people that I could do it and now I have, I'm so happy".

Stella is proud to have been in the final with Chris and adds that it was tough going, "he was a credible candidate".

Lord Sugar believes that Stella will do well. "The rules say I give the winner a job and Stella has that job. She's meticulous and determined. She'll do well, very well".

It's a well deserved win. Stella was one candidate who took on board everything the judges said and acted on it. Yes, she was corporate but she proved during her time on the tour bus that she could have a laugh and was both personable and approachable. She came up with a killer name for her tipple when branding was key and has both the experience and drive that his lordship is looking for.

During the Your Hired follow-up show, Lord Sugar invites Chris to knock on his door. "He has a lot of skills that I'm interested in and he's welcome to come and see me". I have to admit, Chris has grown on me during the final, fingers crossed he'll be celebrating with a glass of Prism tonight too.

So all in all, this could be the first win for both candidates!
Don't you just love a happy ending?

Did Lord Sugar make the right choice?

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Selena x

The Live Blog is running now...

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Who will face Lord Sugar's firing finger of fate?

So this is it... the one before the final. There's nowhere to hide, it's time for the infamous Interview Stage.

The remaining candidates must battle their way through a series of gruelling Q and A sessions. It's the ultimate test as every aspect of their personal and professional lives will be scrutinised (and Sugar's done his homework!)

And if that wasn't bad enough, they have to impress a selection of experts and aides before they can catch a glimpse of the boss-to-be in the boardroom.

Who deserves to be The Apprentice 2010?

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SHOW STARTS:

We kick things off with the usual early morning call. The one change is that there's no task at hand - it's all about what they say, what they've done and what they're promising... but can they deliver?

They arrive at the Interview Stage suited and booted, and Lord Sugar reveals that they'll be answering to four of his trusted business colleagues. They're shocked to hear that three of them will be fired this week - only two will move on to Sunday's Grand Final.

Here's Maggie!
Jamie's in with Margaret Mountford first, one of Lord Sugar's oldest friends and a previous judge on The Apprentice.

Margaret is known for her no nonsense approach during this part of the process, so it's no surprise that Al just brought her back. Come on, she is the boardroom battleaxe after all - go on Marg!

LOL! Jamie's tried to be funny on his CV and add a little personality. I thought his answers were hilarious... Margaret did not.

Margaret: "When asked about the most interesting things about yourself you wrote, 'I have three properties in the UK, two in Cyprus and a Porsche all before the age of 25 and did I mention I have a third nipple'. Then later, in answer to the worst lie you've ever told, you wrote '...that I have a third nipple'. You're laughing but I'm not. Is that supposed to be funny? Think of a word that sums that up Jamie... peurile!"

Jamie is speechless and squirming - Marvelous!

Chris heads for door number one...

Margaret rips into him immediately.
"When asked what the most interesting thing about you is, you say regardless of being not the slightest bit religious, you are a revered theology scholar in the UK. Do you even know what revered means?"

Chris claims that he is revered by his peers for his achievements "in my school at least". Hmmm... not quite the whole country then.

As his interviews continue, things go from bad to worse. With a poor record and a string of jobs behind him, he's accused of being a quitter.

"No, with an opportunity to work with Lord Sugar there is not a chance in hell that I'd quit this".

Having been one of the strongest characters throughout the process, Joanne crumbles...

Why has she applied for the show? "I've got as far as I can. I've reached my peak where I am. I don't want to be Joanna the cleaner. I've proven that you don't have to have the qualifications and things to get this far. With a business mind..."

She's interupted and told under no uncertain terms that she hasn't got a business mind. "You've started a cleaning company that's just two years old and rather than develop it, you say you've got as far as you can. Not many people have the gumption... or the intelligence to build a business but what you say is a great shame - a great shame". She's dismissed with a "nice to meet you". Ouch!

Some flying soundbites:

"Are you just a very very good PA?"
Stella: "I find that insulting. I'm on the senior management team on the trading floor, I'm the only woman".

"I'm not sure you have what it takes".

Chris: "I'm a top sales person, but what you need to be the apprentice, to lift yourself above... is to have the skill and business acumen to think outside the box!"

Oh dear, it appears that 'the brand' has been rumbled!

Chief executive of Viglen, Bordan Tkachuk confronts Stuart about his CV.

“It says here, ‘I formed BlueWave Communications, a fully licensed telecoms operator on the Isle of Man".

“So if I said to you I spoke to a certain gentleman who is the licensing and compliance officer of the Isle of Man government, I’m assuming he would know.”

Stuart nods but Bordan confirms that BlueWave does not hold a licence for mobile or fixed communications. BlueWave only holds an ISP licence for broadband. "Stuart, you’re blagging. I’m seeing a bit of a blagger. You may have been able to blag some of the others but you’re not going to blag me.”

As he leaves the interview room, Stuart's knocked for six. “I feel like I’ve gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. My head is spinning.”

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH:

The judges have a pow-wow.

Joanna scores well. Margaret was impressed, "she's personable and approachable". Lord Sugar mentions her previous sales, pitching and negotiating - all good. She delivered during the tasks and kept her head under pressure - apart from at interview (fail?)

Sugar raises an eyebrow at the fact that she crumbled. I was surprised too.

Chris is academically brilliant apparently, but the judges are concerned that he needs constant recognition. Some found him 'monotonous and lacking in personality', but Nick jumps to his defense, "he has real entrepreneurial spirit".

Margaret's concerned about his facademic fixation. "I bet he has all his certificates framed and his ideal night in is sitting in looking at them".

Oh dear... There's nothing positive for Jamie. They all agree that he talks nonsense, throws in percentages and statistics and blames others for his shortfalls - that can't be good right?

Regardless of the whole corporate thing, Stella get's raves! Karren: "She's a professional woman who always gave a good representation of herself. She's ambitious and there's nothing wrong with that".

The consensus is that she's hardworking, organised, professional and ambitious. Karren is also impressed that she takes criticism well and acts on it.

The only negative is her corporate background, Lord Sugar's not sure if she'd 'fit'.

And finally, Stuart.
Words like "maverick" and "dreamer" pop up, and it's agreed that he's technically minded. The fact that he doesn't actually own a telecoms business is a major issue and the fact that he's willing to tell lies about his competitors.
Can you say epic fail?

I wouldn't have bothered coming to the boardroom myself.

IN WITH LORD SUGAR THEY GO...

Chris's answer to being a quitter: "I want to settle now, I want to concentrate on building a career for myself".

Stella's still painted with the corporate brush: "I've proved throughout this experience, you throw me into a situation and I'll deal with it every single time".

Nick Hewer is concerned that she's struggling to escape 'a straightjacketed environment' - he could be right.

Sugar's concerned that Joanna knows little about business: "I'm 25 year's old and I've never had any direction. I could go out tomorrow and land a big cleaning contract but that's not what I want to do. I can learn the business side as my skills are not the best, but I will do whatever it takes".

And what about Jamie's current business that he's left lagging? "It's about making mistakes, learning from it and moving on".

Sugar saves the best till last!

He tells Stuart Baggs: “It’s interesting that the regulator of Isle of Man telecoms doesn’t know anything about you. My guy is not a mug, he knows people".

“The thing is, my four advisers looked at me and said that you’re full of s*** basically, and possibly you have been throughout the whole course of this process".

“What annoys me more is that if I’ve misunderstood you with your claims and everything else you said you’ve done, and someone like Liz left the process last week, I feel more sick".

“I don’t believe a word you say, Stuart. I’m annoyed with myself - YOU ARE FIRED!"

GO ON ALAN! Bu-bye 'brand'.

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Stuart takes no responsibility. "I'm feeling gutted now, I thought I was the perfect match for the job. I think what's happened is unfair and they don't understand what I'm about".

Who's next?

Stella claims she'll give it her all and can take on any task. Jamie swears that he can deliver. Chris can offer 'drive and focus' and Joanna wants to try. "I may not have the business things on my CV and I'm embarrassed that I don't. But I'm still here, that speaks volumes'.

Without the business acumen, Sugar just can't place Joanna. "I'll give you the best advice I can. You may not like what you do at the moment, but get to like it and do more of it... You can leave with your head held high. It's with regret, YOU'RE FIRED!"

I feel sorry for Joanna, she was amazing when it came to selling and negotiating and left the others standing. I get the feeling that if she hadn't sounded so desperate to escape her current position, she'd have had a shot at the title. Anyone can learn 'spreadsheets and databases' Alan!

She's disappointed: "I don't think Lord Sugar made the right choice, but at least I know I'm Joanna the business woman now".

And quick as a flash Jamie's out too!

"I really thought I'd make the final, but I'll just have to see what the future holds!"

So there you go.
Our finalists are Chris and Stella.
Did Lord Sugar choose your favourites?

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See you LIVE on Sunday for the Grand Final, when the finalists will be creating a brand new alcoholic drink. Oh and the ex-candidates are back to help... or should that say hinder?

Selena x