It’s been reported that one candidate on The Apprentice dramatically “quit” the show during a heated moment in the boardroom before the episode even aired.
The individual reportedly told Lord Alan Sugar, aged 77, “it’s not for me,” and walked out of the programme, leaving the tycoon visibly shocked.
The would-be entrepreneur is said to have pre-empted their firing by exiting the process themselves, thereby giving up the chance at winning the £250,000 investment and mentorship.
Details have yet to be released on which contestant made the abrupt departure, but it apparently followed a major clash in the boardroom after a task that took place in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
The challenge had involved the contestants trying to bag nine items at the lowest cost under severe time pressure in the historic town, reports the Mirror.
The business-savvy individuals were expected to draw upon their negotiation skills to secure the best deals, hoping to snag some items for free (if they could) along the way.
However, it all seemed to become too intense for some candidates when they returned to the boardroom to discover who would be eliminated. According to MailOnline, disputes started emerging among the 18 contenders as Lord Sugar evaluated each one to determine who should stay.
A TV insider revealed to MailOnline: “The Apprentice isn’t for everyone and some of the candidates only realise that once they’re in the process. One contestant this series decided to leave the competition early telling Lord Sugar ‘this isn’t for me’.”
They continued: “It came as a total shock in the boardroom some of the cast now believe the candidate wanted to avoid the potential embarrassment of being fired. They saved Lord Sugar the trouble and simply gave up the chance of becoming his next business partner.”
Someone close to the departing contestant also pointed out that the individual had “realised that the show wasn’t the right process” and acknowledged that others were more driven to win the investment.
It is understood that their overall feeling was that staying in the race “wouldn’t have been fair” to the other participants, leading to the decision by the aspiring Apprentice star to bow out gracefully.
The Apprentice will return to BBC One this evening, from 9pm.