The Apprentice (British TV series) series 2

The second series of British reality television series The Apprentice (UK) was broadcast in the UK on BBC Two, from 22 February to 10 May 2006. Following the success of the previous series, the BBC commissioned additional episodes of the programme, along with ordering the creation of a new companion discussion programme titled The Apprentice: You're Fired!, which was aimed at being aired on BBC Three alongside the main programme's broadcast schedule. A special titled "Tim in the Firing Line", focusing on Tim Campbell's life after winning the first series, aired on 19 February 2006 and preceded this series' premiere. Alongside the standard twelve episodes of the series, it is the only series to not feature any specials being aired alongside its broadcast.

The Apprentice
Series 2
Promo group shot of Alan Sugar standing before the candidates for series 2
Starring	Alan Sugar Nick Hewer Margaret Mountford
No. of episodes	12
Release
Original network	BBC Two
Original release	22 February (2006-02-22) – 10 May 2006 (2006-05-10)
Series chronology

Fourteen candidates took part in the second series, with Michelle Dewberry becoming the overall winner. Excluding the special, the series averaged around 4.43 million viewers during its broadcast. A year after it had concluded, a candidate later raised a complaint against the BBC for their portrayal in the second series, which was refuted due to contradicting evidence from the broadcaster and production staff.

Series overview

Following favourable ratings and viewing figures for the first series, the BBC commissioned additional episodes of The Apprentice, with Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford returning to assume their roles within the programme and aid in production of the second series. One request made of production staff by the broadcaster was that a companion discussion show be created to air alongside it. This led to the creation of The Apprentice: You're Fired!, a sister show that would air on BBC Three and operate within a similar format to spin-off sister shows like Big Brother's Little Brother and Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. The search for a host for this programme led to chief football presenter Adrian Chiles being offered the role, with his acceptance revealed prior to the second series' premiere episode.

As with the first series, production staff and researchers went through applications made by those who sought to participate in the programme, until around fourteen candidates, consisting of the same balanced mix of genders, were informed in Summer 2005 that they had landed a place in the final line-up for the second series. Filming began later that year in Autumn, with the first task seeing the men name their team Invicta, while the women named their team Velocity. Although candidates faced a similar setup of tasks with only subtle changes to what these involved, one notable difference was that the Interviews stage was overseen by Paul Kemsley, Claude Littner, and Bordan Tkachuk, who returned to assume their roles, as it was decided that Hewer and Mountford would mainly supply feedback on observations over past tasks during discussions between Sugar and the interviewers. As with the previous series, the candidates faced a charity-based task, which this time featured a reward as done on similar tasks in the American original, before the use of it was discontinued following the conclusion of the series' broadcast.

This series is the first in the show's history to feature the iconic sequence involving the winner departing in Sugar's personal Rolls-Royce, giving a brief interview on their success, a sequence that was created to purely emphasise their victory on the programme as the overall winner. Of those who took part, Michelle Dewberry would become the eventual winner of this series, and go on to briefly take up a post under Sugar following its conclusion, leaving in September 2006 following a series of personal problems. Throughout its filming, prior to it being edited and prepared for broadcast, Sugar voiced issues to the production staff with the programme's format at the time – due to the number of candidates taking part against the number of episodes for the series, he was not allowed to fire more than one candidate in any task prior to the Interviews stage, despite the fact that two of the tasks featured outcomes where he felt more than one candidate deserved to be fired by him. Staff eventually reviewed the format after the production and broadcast of the second series, which led to eventual changes when work began on the third series.

This is the only series of the programme in which every candidate had at least one opportunity to Project Manage a task. This occurred again on the first series of Junior Apprentice in 2010, but has never happened again on the main adult programme.

Candidates

Candidate	Background	Age	Result
Michelle Dewberry	Telecoms Consultant	26	Winner
Ruth Badger	Sales Manager	27	Runner-up
Ansell Henry	Sales Manager	34	Fired after Interviews stage
Paul Tulip	Headhunter	26
Syed Ahmed	Entrepreneur	31	Fired after tenth task
Tuan Le	Financial Adviser	27	Fired after ninth task
Sharon McAllister	Business Lecturer	30	Fired after eighth task
Samuel Judah	Product Developer	35	Fired after seventh task
Jo Cameron	Human Resources Manager	35	Fired after sixth task
Mani Sandher	Management Consultant	39	Fired after fifth task
Alexa Tilley	Management Consultant	28	Fired after fourth task
Karen Bremner	Lawyer	34	Fired after third task
Nargis Ara	PhD Student	38	Fired after second task
Ben Stanberry	IT Consultant	33	Fired after first task

Performance chart

Candidate	Task Number
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Michelle	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	LOSE	IN	WIN	IN	IN	HIRED
Ruth	IN	IN	IN	IN	LOSE	IN	BR	WIN	BR	BR	IN	RUNNER-UP
Ansell	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	LOSE	IN	IN	IN	IN	FIRED
Paul	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	FIRED
Syed	BR	IN	WIN	BR	IN	IN	IN	LOSE	BR	FIRED
Tuan	IN	IN	IN	BR	IN	IN	WIN	BR	FIRED
Sharon	IN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WIN	IN	FIRED
Samuel	BR	WIN	IN	IN	IN	BR	FIRED
Jo	IN	BR	LOSE	IN	BR	FIRED
Mani	IN	IN	IN	WIN	FIRED
Alexa	IN	IN	BR	FIRED
Karen	WIN	BR	FIRED
Nargis	IN	FIRED
Ben	FIRED

Key:

  The candidate won this series of The Apprentice.

  The candidate was the runner-up.

  The candidate won as project manager on his/her team, for this task.

  The candidate lost as project manager on his/her team, for this task.

  The candidate was on the winning team for this task / they passed the Interviews stage.

  The candidate was on the losing team for this task.

  The candidate was brought to the final boardroom for this task.

  The candidate was fired in this task.

  The candidate lost as project manager for this task and was fired.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
15	1	"Fruit and Veg"	22 February 2006 (2006-02-22)	3.65
Sir Alan Sugar begins a new search for an apprentice for 2006 amongst fourteen new candidates. For their first task, they must purchase produce within a budget of £500, before up-selling their stock for a profit around Hackney. The women opt for a strategy of purchasing overripe fruit and vegetables, acquiring these for low prices and making good sales with them at both a market and going door-to-door. However, the women are accused of using sexual appeal to "waylay" the buyers and were forced to explain to Sir Alan Sugar as to why they should be awarded the victory. The men focus mainly on fruit and selling at a market, but make less money due to spending over half their budget and focusing on door-to-door sales at a late hour. Candidate Syed Ahmed is praised by his project manager for being the "best salesman" on his team, which is later denied by the project manager. Ultimately, Sir Alan grants the victory to Velocity due to their greater revenue and sales. In the boardroom, Sir Alan disapproves of Velocity's tactics, despite their strategy winning them the task. For the losing team, Ben Stanberry becomes the first to be fired for his poor leadership as he failed to split his team to enhancr sales, as well as his lack of knowledge on locating markets for products. Following Ben's firing, one candidate is warned by Sir Alan Sugar that he has got his "card marked".
16	2	"Calendar Club"	1 March 2006 (2006-03-01)	3.51
The teams take on the job of raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, each designing a themed calendar and pitching it to retailers as a test of their creative and pitching skills. Velocity opt for calendars featuring photos of kittens, receiving orders from all retailers, yet face criticism for their concept's design and relevance to the charity, alongside poor pitching skills from one member. Invicta opt for calendars featuring pictures of children in fun costumes, facing similar issues on the design and the pitching skills of one of its members, yet secure a large order from one retailer. Velocity soon face criticism over their performance when their sales figures are less than Invicta's, with Nargis Ara blamed for contributing to this and being dismissed as a result, over her behaviour on the task, lacking proper creativity, and ignoring concerns on the calendar's design and her pitching skills.
17	3	"Buying the Tyre"	8 March 2006 (2006-03-08)	4.20
Sir Alan has a new shopping list of ten items to be found, testing each team's negotiating skills on sourcing and bargaining for the best deal with each purchase. Invicta manage to secure all the required items, but waste time hunting one item down and rush most purchases through with little negotiations for discounts. Velocity manage to negotiate low prices on most of their purchases, but waste time researching where to find what they sought, faced issues with a problematic member, and failed to secure one of the required items. Their strategy soon proves to be ineffective when their costs are totalled and found to be higher than Invicta's, failing them on the task. Questions amongst the final three soon leave Karen Bremner being ejected from the process for contributing to the team's loss, alongside her unappealing background and skill set.
18	4	"A Hundred Chickens"	15 March 2006 (2006-03-15)	4.11
Both teams find themselves cooking up a tasty treat for visitors to the Thames Festival, with each seeking to manage costs while ensuring their food attracts reasonable profits. Velocity opt for selling noodles from a Chinese themed stall, controlling their costs and setting up a strong pricing strategy that leaves them with a reasonable profit, despite arguments between the team and their leader. Invicta focus on serving up pizza, but struggle throughout the task due to an overspend on ingredients, disorganisation and arguments between members, and a lack of sales strategy. Velocity win the task from making a profit against Invicta's performance creating a loss. Amongst the losing team, one problematic candidate is held accountable for the task's failure but Alexa Tilley is dismissed for being an ineffective leader, lacking proper control over the team and costs, and for displaying no decision making initiative.
19	5	"The Amsair Card"	22 March 2006 (2006-03-22)	4.03
Sir Alan has developed a new venture for business flights – the Amsair Card – and instructs each team to come up with a promotional campaign for it, including a video and billboard advert, pitching their concept to advertising experts. Velocity opt for a clear strategy of promoting the card's features, but face criticism on over-emphasising one aspect of the venture, along with creating an unimpressive promotional campaign. Invicta focus on a theme for their promotion that demonstrates each aspect of the card, yet despite some delays with production of their video advert, their campaign is praised for being close to what is required. With Velocity losing the task, the discussion in the boardroom focuses on their execution of the task. Amongst the losing members, Mani Sandher is eventually fired for his ineffective contributions on all tasks and his display of arrogant behaviour.
20	6	"Second-Hand Cars"	29 March 2006 (2006-03-29)	4.45
The teams find their ability to sell put to the test, as each work to make commissions from the sale of second-hand cars and extras. Invicta manage good sales on extras, thanks to strong salespeople, but face issues from a weak team leader and a poor decision on promoting their products. Velocity manage good sales on cars, but faced issues selling their extras due to ineffective sales skills by members handling these. The review of commissions soon reveal that Invicta's strong sellers on the extras secure them victory, leaving Velocity to face questions on the lack of focus on these. Amongst the losing team, Jo Cameron becomes the next to leave the process over her failure to sell, alongside the difficulty faced by candidates in working with her.
21	7	"Selling in Topshop"	5 April 2006 (2006-04-05)	4.26
Selling a new line of clothing in Topshop is the order of business for the next task, as each sell new lines in their own retail space. Invicta focus on lines designed around the navy and modern Oriental, managing a steady strategy and creating an appealing display set up. Velocity focus on lines designed around Goths and aviation, but lack a clear strategy that leaves several members creating mistakes and problems for the team. Their sales figures in the end soon raise serious criticism over the productivity and sales skills of each team member, while Invicta are praised for their performance. Amongst the final three, Samuel Judah is ultimately fired over his track record in the process and his lack of marketing skills on the task.
22	8	"Selling to the Trade"	12 April 2006 (2006-04-12)	4.58
Candidates find themselves looking for an innovative product that could do well, with each team pitching their choices to retailers. Velocity focus on a marketing strategy of securing further contacts to sell their choice of products, increasing their sales figures as a result. Invicta focus on selling their choices to a major retailer chain, against strong advice in the briefing, but are ultimately successful as they generate a greater profit through selling in bulk. However, Invicta face a fine for arriving back in the boardroom late and thus consequently, suffer a 25% penalty which in turn leads to Velocity's victory. Project manager Syed Ahmed is praised for his sales techniques, and is thus offered immunity from the final boardroom and a potential sacking, however, he refuses the offer and instead opts to join his fellow teammates in the final boardroom.Invicta face criticism over their performance, and of the final three, Sharon McAllister is fired for being the weakest member of the team, selling the least, and for displaying a personality not suitable for business. Note: A segment recorded for this episode was cut out in the final edit.
23	9	"Property Sales"	19 April 2006 (2006-04-19)	4.76
Entering the rental market, both teams each face the challenge of earning commission by closing deals on rental properties across London. Velocity focus on making individual sales and maintain close communication amongst themselves, with their strategy proving effective with potential renters. Invicta manage decent sales amongst the team, yet face problems from a weak team leader and an ineffective salesperson. A review of their performances soon reveals that Velocity secured the most commissions, leaving members of Invicta to face an in-depth review of their performance. Candidate Syed Ahmed is praised for selling a house to a random couple passing by the shop, which is described as "bloody good" by Sir Alan, and his sales prowess is described by Sir Alan as "sparks of brilliance". Amongst the losing members, Sir Alan deems Tuan Le as the main culprit behind their loss, firing him for his poor leadership, and lacking the passion displayed by his teammates for selling properties.
24	10	"Moet & Chandon"	26 April 2006 (2006-04-26)	4.68
Brought aboard the Grand Princess as it travels between Istanbul and Naples, each team is tasked with providing a special event for passengers in which success comes from good sales and customer sanctification. Velocity opt for a dance classes with a cash-prize competition alongside it, maintaining a firm organisation of their popular event to secure good ratings and income from passengers. Invicta host events above deck and across the ship for the day, but face issues from poor organisational skill and an overspend on gifts. A review of feedback and profits soon find Invicta's events were poorly conceived, compared to Velocity's, leaving them facing the boardroom. Amongst the remaining members, Syed Ahmed is held accountable for organising a selection of unpopular events but teammate Ruth is critiqued for her lack of participation and lying about reading the rules that were given during the brief, which she then blamed upon Project Manager Syed, leading to further condemnation from Sir Alan. After a hard-fought argument in the boardroom, contestant Syed Ahmed, despite his "flashes of genius" was narrowly fired from the task, with Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford looking both visibly upset following his firing.
25	11	"Interviews"	3 May 2006 (2006-05-03)	4.98
After facing ten tasks as teams, the four remaining candidates now compete as individuals in their next task – a series of tough, gruelling interviews with three of Sir Alan's most trusted associates. Each member faces scrutiny over their backgrounds, work experience and performance within the process when questioned by the interviewers. Feedback to Sir Alan, alongside observations by his aides, leads him to deciding to fire Paul Tulip for his display of arrogance and immaturity in interviews, and Ansell Henry for displaying a lack of leadership qualities. Of the remaining two, Ruth Badger demonstrates a level of intelligence most suitable for Sir Alan, while Michelle Dewberry demonstrates a clear committal to her work and a number of positive traits in her background.
26	12	"The Final"	10 May 2006 (2006-05-10)	5.95
After facing a multitude of business tasks and a tough interview, the two finalists now face one more challenge – with help from old friends, each must host an evening event at London's Tower Bridge, coming up with their own theme for it. Ruth focuses on a murder mystery theme, managing her team efficiently and receiving an attractive amount of sales. Michelle focuses on a James Bond themed casino night, but faces issues from in-fighting between returning members and lower sales figures after a firm reorganisation of her team. Reviewing their performances, Sir Alan contends that Michelle Dewberry was a much stronger all-around candidate and makes her his new apprentice for 2006, leaving Ruth Badger to become the runner-up over concerns towards displaying no other skills than a focus on sales.

Criticism

Mani Sandher portrayal claim

In 2007, a year after the second series had been aired, Mani Sandher filed a complaint against the BBC, criticising them for his portrayal on The Apprentice, on grounds that he been unfairly treated by the broadcaster. The BBC Trust investigated the complaint and later rejected the accusations. Their findings pointed out that Sandher was aware that the programme was subject to editing after filming, and that this had been done to an acceptable standard that was not misleading per Ofcom's broadcasting codes. Although Sandher later attempted to appeal against the Trust's decision on his complaint, the Editorial Complaints Unit of the BBC dismissed this.

Ratings

Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers (millions)	BBC Two weekly ranking
1	22 February 2006	3.65	2
2	1 March 2006	3.51	2
3	8 March 2006	4.20	1
4	15 March 2006	4.11	1
5	22 March 2006	4.03	2
6	29 March 2006	4.45	1
7	5 April 2006	4.26	1
8	12 April 2006	4.58	1
9	19 April 2006	4.76	1
10	26 April 2006	4.68	1
11	3 May 2006	4.98	1
12	10 May 2006	5.95	1

Specials

Episode	Airdate	Viewers (millions)	BBC Two weekly ranking
Tim in the Firing Line	19 February 2006	2.26	25

External links

• The Apprentice at BBC Online
• Times Online interview with Alan Sugar
• Amstrad Site
• Blog of the 2nd series written by marketing expert Steve Gibson