Apprentice fans gather to mock 'most awkward hug in BBC show’s history'

Contestants Siobhan Smith and Elizabeth McKenna at odds after failing corporate hospitality task in front of Lord Sugar

The latest boardroom battle on The Apprentice ended in an awkward hug that viewers declared the most cringeworthy in the show's history.

Fans of the BBC series were gripped as Siobhan Smith and Elizabeth McKenna locked horns over a corporate hospitality task in front of Lord Sugar.

Smith ended up receiving her marching orders and was stood looking dismayed in the lobby when McKenna left the boardroom.

Viewers were in stitches as McKenna approached with her arms outstretched, clearly going in for a hug, and Smith tried to fob her off with a handshake.

Many posted messages on social media saying how uncomfortable the whole scene was.

“OMG SAVAGE. The handshake. The hug. I'm shaking,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“Well that was the most awkward hug in the #apprentice history between Siobhan and Elizabeth!” another said.

“I've not seen a more awkward hug between two people since Voldemort and Draco Malfoy,” said another.

Some joked that they could barely watch as Smith tried to brush off McKenna's gesture.

“That hug was painful to watch,” tweeted one person.

Others shared hilarious video clips and memes about the clumsy exchange.

But while there were plenty of jokes, some people watching took a sterner view, saying that giving a fellow candidate the brush-off was “unprofessional” and “rude”.

PA