The Apprentice, BBC One: TV review

The show will see an all-girl final, between Luisa and Leah

Albertina Lloyd
Thursday 11 July 2013 13:54 BST
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Neil Clough in the Boardroom after being fired
Neil Clough in the Boardroom after being fired

The climax of The Apprentice will be a battle of cakes against collagen after hopefuls Luisa Zissman and Leah Totton were tonight put through to make it an all-girl finale.

Zissman, a 25-year-old cake shop owner, and Totton, a 24-year-old doctor will compete to win a £250,000 investment and the chance to be Lord Sugar's business partner.

Zissman is proposing a branded baking ingredients website, while Totton - who currently works in A&E - wants to launch her own non-surgical cosmetic treatments clinic, offering lunchtime injections of Botox and facial fillers.

The blonde doctor admitted she has no business experience but confessed to Lord Sugar's team of advisors: "I really need the money."

Viewers tonight saw soccer-centre manager Neil Clough miss out on a place in the final, despite Lord Sugar admitting he was his favourite candidate.

The 32-year-old was told his estate agency website idea was not a viable business, but refused to back down.

Sugar told him: "If this was all about me giving someone a job, I'd give you a job tomorrow. But coming into business with me, I'm afraid not my friend."

Clough admitted: "I'm absolutely gutted. My biggest regret is I was given a chance to put in a Plan B and I didn't, and I absolutely do regret that.

"Whether or not that end goal of winning took over, I don't know. I'm so competitive, that's why I think I'm so gutted now. I wanted it so much and it's difficult to take.

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"For Lord Sugar to say, 'You're the right man, you've just got the wrong plan', I could see he was sort of willing me to be the person that goes into business with him.

"But my business plan wasn't right for him, I did make a couple of mistakes with it. I do respect his decision."

In one of the tasks Clough gave a motivational speech to a group of businessman, in which he opened up about how his father's death from cancer had motivated him to succeed in life and make his dad proud.

He confessed: "My father passing away when I was 18 was a real driver, he was a strong character in my life. And he had that goal for me to become a professional footballer. And to this day I never know whether I let him down or not.

"I think that is one of my biggest drivers, to make him proud of me. And as I got further along on The Apprentice, it was like 'If I win it I will make him proud of me.' And I think the difficult thing for me to take is I've fallen short of the final hurdle."

Finalist Zissman posed naked for a charity calendar prior to taking part in the show, and revealing photographs have been published by newspapers.

The Apprentice Final will air on Wednesday July 17 at 8pm on BBC1 and BBC1 HD.

PA

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