Finally Sir Alan Saw Sense

After a week of blunders, when firing Raef seemed like a good idea and letting Michael beg (again) for his right to continue his Apprentice Journey, Sir Alan has come to his senses.

Michael Sophocles has had more second chances than any Apprentice candidate ever. Why? Because Sir Alan seemed to have a soft spot for him and because he excused Michael's blatant incompetence with the fact that he was young.

Whilst inexperience can be the downfall of many a young business person, so can arrogance and a lack of common sense. Although Michael might be 25, I would say it's more of the latter and less of the former that made him a poor candidate.

I was 25 when I filmed the show and had 3 years of business experience behind me - when I made a mistake my 'youth' wasn't blamed, I was held accountable and rightly so. Whilst excuses can be made for a young mind making a mistake, the consequences are the same regardless.

The producers claim that The Apprentice is a show about real business; whether Sir Alan would have continued to employ Michael after 3 serious mistakes which would have cost him money in the real world is an indication of the wide gap between The Apprentice and reality.

The signs of exhaustion are clear to see now and credit to those candidates who have lasted this long; noone but a candidate will ever understand the emotional and physical strain that The Apprentice brings; don't get me wrong, it's an incredible privilege to be part of such a thing, but it's knackering none the less!

I have to say I continue to be enthralled by this show, I'm not sure if it's a pleasure on an addiction, but The Apprentice remains firmly in my SkyPlus box and I think that's unlikely to change.