As each team were asked to allocate project managers, the viewers were subjected to what can only be described as the most cringeworthy, brown-nose act ever aired on national television. Ricky Martin offered himself up as leader of Phoenix because, and I quote, ‘I want to do what Lord Sugar did’. Pass the bucket and fast. The rest of the team had other ideas and promptly voted for Nick. Does anybody else have an overwhelming desire to cut/brush/move the hair off Nick’s face?
Both teams split into two, with one half going to a chosen market stall and the other pitching up in a shopping centre. The highlight of the market stalls had to be Ricky and Stephen performing a mini street theatre centred around a mop. If you missed it, it’s worth taking a look on YouTube for that clip alone. On their own market stall, Adams experience and customer interaction skills were second to none. He really has the gift of the gab and could give Del-Boy a run for his money any day of the week.
Azhar, obviously taking Lord Sugar’s comments from last week on board, came out of himself a little more this week and started to voice his opinions when Jade made bad decisions. However, Azhar doesn’t exactly know how to speak to other people in a way that makes them listen and the sarcasm in his voice became more and more apparent with each suggestion that was ignored. He and Jade seemed to rub each other up the wrong way throughout the entire task. The only things missing from their little spats were name calling and face pulling, but then, we only see what’s on camera.
It wasn’t only Azhar that Jade ignored. When heading back to the wholesaler to replenish their dwindling stock pile, Jade was informed that the toy bugs were selling like hot cakes but instead of stocking up on such a popular item, Jade took the decision to buy a little more of everything. Nick and his team took the opposite approach and after selling out of fake tan, sent Ricky and Stephen to the warehouse with strict instructions to stock up on this very popular product.
The results relayed exactly what every viewer suspected. Jade’s team lost by just under £120. Immediately choosing Azhar as her first companion for the return trip to the boardroom, she seemed to stumble over her second choice. She chose Tom, then changed her mind, did a little more thinking and returned to her initial decision of Tom once more. Realising that Tom did nothing wrong in the task, Lord Sugar practically sent him straight back out of the boardroom by telling him that he was safe.
In my opinion, Jade should have been fired based on the fact that she seemed to have no idea what she was doing. Her strategy was the absolute definition of ‘winging it’ as she jumped from one mini crisis to another with only Tom to support her. Azhar made some very good and sensible suggestions but his huffing and puffing seemed to make Lord Sugars mind up and he was fired.
One of the highlights for me this week was realising that Lord Sugar seems to have branched out into the hit-man arena! How do I know this? The way in which he fired Azhar said it all really… ‘I am going to terminate your existence in the process…you’re fired’
Maybe it was Jade’s promise of a multi-million pound business partnership with Lord Sugar that swayed his decision, maybe it was just because he realised that firing another woman would leave the teams seriously uneven in the sex stakes, whatever the method behind his madness, it makes great TV and I for one can’t wait to tune in again next week!
