Simon Ambrose and Kristina Grimes will battle it out in ‘The Apprentice’ final after Katie Hopkins sensationally dropped out of the race. Sir Alan Sugar offered Katie a place in the last two - but she turned it down, claiming she did not want to uproot her family at a moment's notice.
The tycoon had already fired Lohit Kalburgi and had to choose two candidates from Simon, Kristina, Katie and Tre Azam.
"There are three other people in this room and it would really, really annoy me if you took this opportunity away from them," he told Katie. At first she promised to move from her home in Exeter, Devon, to London and Sir Alan said: "Katie, I don't want to lose my faith in mankind. You're in the final, you're staying. Just remember the things you've promised me."
Sir Alan went on to fire Tre.
But minutes later he noticed Katie's glum expression and demanded: "You don't look like a lady who's just been told you've entered the final. There's two people here that are very employable. Everyone would appreciate it if you spoke up."
The 31-year-old mother of two told him: "I'm making a decision without having the courtesy to speak to the people who care for my children. It's a risk, it's a discourtesy to my parents."
A furious Sir Alan snapped: "I haven't got time to wait for you to make a phone call."
After a dramatic pause, Katie said: "I don't want to make a fool of you or me. I think it's more important to get the courtesy to have my plans in place, so I'll have to stand down."
Her shock decision left next week's final as a head-to-head between Simon, 27, a Cambridge graduate and internet entrepreneur from London, and Kristina, 36, a single mum and pharmaceutical manager originally from Co Wicklow and now living in Harrogate.
They will compete for a £100,000-a-year job with Sir Alan.
Simon was baffled by Katie's choice, saying: "I just don't get her." But insiders have claimed Katie never had any intention of taking a job with Sir Alan and instead was using the show to find fame.
Last night's task saw the five candidates grilled by three of Sir Alan's advisors.
Katie bragged about her "ruthless streak" and was asked: "Have you ever lied or cheated to get what you want?" She replied: "Yes, to get someone else's husband because I wanted him."
She smirked: "I'd say that was pretty ruthless."
Tre came unstuck when he admitted he had done next to no research on Sir Alan. "Unfortunately I haven't been reading the annual reports on Amstrad so I don't know their figures as such. If I get the job I'll learn, I suppose. Whatever."
One interviewer mocked his claims to have a global business empire.
"Tre, you are not an international businessman," he said. "Do you really want this job? What are you going to do, close down your international organisation?"
In the boardroom, Sir Alan told him: "Tre, you've got something but my colleagues find you argumentative and difficult. You need to grow up more. With regret, you're fired."
Sir Alan told Lohit: "You are a very nice, fine fellow, but I'm going to put you out of your misery."
Lohit said he would like Simon to win because he is a "nice guy" - but reckons he is not good enough to be in the final.
The winner of ‘The Apprentice’ will be revealed on BBC1 next Wednesday.
