The man least likely to win The Apprentice

Well it’s official in our office Apprentice sweep I have the worst candidate ever to grace Sralan’s boardroom – one Noorul Choudhury.

Initially having handed over my fiver I felt like I had just adopted a puppy and I watched the first episode with a sense of parental pride, optimism even. How quickly that has evaporated as week after week it becomes apparent that Noorul is not destined for greatness in the world of business.

Pleasant he may be, but his complete inability to make a decision will be his downfall. Cheerfully at the start of the task he spoke to the camera claiming he was a natural leader. Perhaps he was trying to convince himself because he certainly didn’t convince the audience or indeed his team.

His natural niceness did summon up loyalty from them in the boardroom however as a number of team members said they enjoyed working with him. But as the ever-astute Margaret pointed out that is not the same thing as being a good leader. Somehow in spite of himself he won so he lives to fight another day but I certainly won be making any plans for spending the sweep money.

In complete contrast to the niceness of Noorul you have the aggressive and gobby tactics of Ben from Northern Ireland who certainly made no friends last night. Each series of the Apprentice has its villain of the piece and it looks as if Ben may be it.

To be fair he could not be really blamed directly over the costings last night. Sure Paula handed him and Jasmina the job but then proceeded to select the ingredients herself while Ben was doing the donkey work. It was his conduct before and in the boardroom that really let him down. He said just before he went in that he planned to 'rip her to shreds' and proceeded to do just that – not exactly appropriate language for the professional business world. Even Sralan himself seemed sick of him by the end of the session and he would be well advised to button it next week.

Just a brief word about Kate before I finish – she is doing well and may be there to the end but I have to pick her up on her overly complicated use of the English language. On the phone to Paula while collecting lumps of seaweed ‘Have you determined a quantity?’ Next time Kate try 'How much?'.

Bree Treacy