The Apprentice 2016: 14 most brutal comments from the interviews round

Claude Littner and the interviewers put the candidates through their paces
Eye-roll: Claude Littner doesn't hold back as he interviews The Apprentice candidates
BBC/Boundless
Ben Travis16 December 2016

The interviews round of The Apprentice is always a real treat – and this year’s was as wince-inducing as ever.

The five remaining candidates – Frances Bishop, Alana Spencer, Courtney Wood, Grainne McCoy and Jessica Cunningham – were given a real grilling by Lord Sugar’s interviewers.

Claude Littner was joined by Claudine Collins, Mike Soutar, and Linda Plant, and nobody came out unscathed.

Here are their most withering, jaw-dropping comments from the scorching episode.

Frances Bishop

(BBC/PA )
BBC/PA

1) “Frankly I’m finding it quite hard to find anything good about your performance. Got any answer for that?” – Claude comments that she lost eight tasks

2) “How could you possibly put this to Lord Sugar? This is beneath you.” – Claude rips into the business plan

3) “Do you think Lord Sugar wants someone who writes flippant comments?” – Claudine isn’t a fan of her application form

Alana Spencer

(BBC/PA )
BBC/PA

4) “God help us, you’re going to be the driving force? I mean, clearly you’re not exactly a forceful character” – Claude questions whether she can be ruthless

5) “Right, we’ll leave that alone then shall we” – Claude turns down the chance to try free cake samples

6) “Your boyfriend is also your employee? So if you fall out with him, can he be replaced?” – Linda Plant has no time for romance

Courtney Wood

(BBC/PA )
BBC/PA

7) “Well Courtney, I’ve been watching you for the last 11 weeks, and frankly for most of that time I’ve wanted to smack you over the face to wake you up” – Claude isn’t a fan of his demeanour

8) “Lord Sugar doesn’t want to invest in a deadbeat” – Claude questions his commitment

The Apprentice 2016 - who's been fired?

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Grainne McCoy

(BBC/PA )
BBC/PA

9) “You can’t be running a business and be ‘spendy-happy’” – Mike questions her costings

10) “Why? They’re not going to steal the idea” – Claude slams her decision not to run her business plan past anybody else

Jessica Cunningham

(BBC/PA )
BBC/PA

11) “So you made a loss, you don’t know how much loss, the loss was massive, you had money in the bank, it dwindled away… Do you know what you’re talking about?” – Linda Plant isn’t impressed by her past business performance

12) “Let’s move on, because otherwise we’ll never get to the end” – Claude, regretting asking for a brief summary of her past experience

13) “I think you’re dreaming” – Linda doubts her business idea

14) “Lust and Lies?” – Claude isn’t keen on the business name

BBC One, 9pm

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