The Apprentice (British TV series) series 9

The Apprentice
Series 9
Promo group shot of Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady standing before the candidates for series 9
Starring
No. of episodes14
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release7 May (2013-05-07) –
17 July 2013 (2013-07-17)
Series chronology
← Previous
Series 8
Next →
Series 10

The ninth series of British reality television series The Apprentice was broadcast in the UK on BBC One, from 7 May to 17 July 2013.[1] This series saw the format return to having a business task as the final task, rather than simply concluding the series at the Interview stage.[2] Alongside the standard twelve episodes, with the first two aired on consecutive days, two specials were aired alongside this series – "The Final Five" on 8 July, and "Why I Fired Them" on 11 July.

Sixteen candidates took part in the ninth series, with Leah Totton becoming the overall winner. Excluding specials, the series averaged around 7.34 million viewers during its broadcast.

Series overview

Applications for the ninth series opened in spring 2012, with the selection process of auditions, assessments and interviews held throughout the midsummer of that year, with filming beginning in October 2012. In contrast to series 7 and 8, this series returned to the original format, whereby the two finalists partook in a business venture as part of the final task, rather than the series concluding at the Interview stage. In addition, Sugar brought back the use of exotic filming locations, with the Great Recession coming to an end. Alongside these changes, Matthew Riley left the programme after two series as an interviewer, being succeeded by Claudine Collins.

This series' teams were named Evolve and Endeavour. Of those who took part, Leah Totton would become the eventual winner, going on to establishing cosmetic skin clinics with her investment, the first of which opening on 22 January 2014.[3][4][5]

Candidates

Candidate Background Age Result
Leah Totton Doctor 24 Winner
Luisa Zissman Retail Entrepreneur 25 Runner-up
Francesca MacDuff-Varley Dance & Entertainment Entrepreneur 32 Fired after Interviews stage
Neil Clough Regional Manager – Soccer Centres 32
Jordan Poulton Business Analyst 26
Myles Mordaunt Marketing Agency Co-Founder 39 Fired after tenth task
Alex Mills Company Director 22 Fired after ninth task
Jason Leech Historian / Property Entrepreneur 29 Fired after eighth task
Natalie Panayi Recruitment Manager 30 Fired after seventh task
Kurt Wilson Health Drink Entrepreneur and Health & Safety Manager 26
Rebecca Slater Pharmaceutical Sales Rep. 35 Fired after sixth task
Zeeshaan Shah CEO of Property Investment Company 27 Fired after fifth task
Uzma Yakoob Entrepreneur & Make-Up Brand Owner 32 Fired after fourth task
Sophie Lau Restaurateur 22 Fired after third task
Tim Stillwell Mexican Food Entrepreneur 23 Fired after second task
Jaz Ampaw-Farr Literacy & Education Company Director 41 Fired after first task

Performance chart

Candidate Task Number
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Leah LOSS LOSS LOSS IN BR WIN LOSS IN BR IN IN HIRED
Luisa LOSS LOSS LOSS WIN IN BR IN LOSE IN WIN IN RUNNER-UP
Francesca LOSS BR LOSS IN IN LOSE IN BR IN IN FIRED
Neil IN IN IN LOSE LOSS IN WIN LOSS WIN BR FIRED
Jordan IN IN WIN IN IN LOSS IN WIN LOSS BR FIRED
Myles IN IN IN IN WIN IN LOSS IN BR FIRED
Alex IN IN IN LOSS LOSS IN BR IN FIRED
Jason WIN IN IN IN IN LOSS IN FIRED
Natalie LOSS LOSS LOSE LOSS BR IN FIRED
Kurt IN WIN IN BR LOSS IN FIRED
Rebecca LOSS BR LOSS IN IN FIRED
Zeeshaan IN IN IN LOSS FIRED
Uzma BR LOSS BR FIRED
Sophie BR LOSS FIRED
Tim IN FIRED
Jaz 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		TitleOriginal release dateUK viewers
(millions) [6]
1131"Container"[7]7 May 2013 (2013-05-07)7.25
Lord Sugar begins a new search for a business partner from a pool of sixteen new candidates. In the first week, the teams are tasked with selling imported goods. The men manage reasonable sales, while the women face serious problems with organisation and a lack of sales strategy. The women lose and, of the final three, Jaz Ampaw-Farr becomes the first to be fired for her inefficient leadership.
1142"Beer"[8]8 May 2013 (2013-05-08)6.64
The teams are tasked with creating a brand new flavour of beer to sell. Endeavour opt for a chocolate orange flavour and achieve decent sales. Evolve opt for a rhubarb and caramel flavour, selling significant quantities, despite choosing a number of poor marketing locations. However, they ultimately lose and, of the final three, Tim Stillwell is fired for his weak leadership.
1153"Flat-Pack"[9]15 May 2013 (2013-05-15)7.22
The teams are tasked with creating a brand new, unique piece of flat-pack furniture, pitching their design to independent retailers. Endeavour design a chair that converts into a table, securing significant orders despite issues with mismeasurements. Evolve design a cube-shaped table with multi-functional sides and, despite a well-received pitch, the concept received few orders due to criticism over its originality and styling. Endeavour win, leaving Evolve to face questions over their flawed product. Of the final three, Sophie Lau is ejected from the process for her lack of presence, demonstrating no notable skills, and making no significant contributions on tasks.
1164"Farm Shop"[10]22 May 2013 (2013-05-22)7.69
Sent to the countryside, the teams are tasked with running their own farm shop, sourcing produce from local farms to turn into products for sale. Endeavour sell milkshakes and, while they enjoy decent sales initially, the team face issues with disorganisation. Evolve opt to sell soups, jacket potatoes and buffalo meat products, making decent sales, despite issues with budget control. In the boardroom, Evolve clinch victory and, in the losing team, Uzma Yakoob is fired her poor sales tactics.
1175"Dubai"[11]28 May 2013 (2013-05-28)6.88
Candidates are flown to Dubai to source eight items for a new multimillion-pound hotel. Evolve secure six items, while Endeavour secure four items, ultimately losing the task. Of the final three, Zeeshaan Shah is fired for his dictatorial leadership.
1186"Away Day"[12]5 June 2013 (2013-06-05)7.29
The teams are tasked with creating a corporate away day on a £5,000 budget. Endeavour lead an army-themed away day, while Evolve lead a school-themed away day. Endeavour manage a better performance, leaving Evolve to face scrutiny over their service in the boardroom. In the losing team, Rebecca Slater is fired for suggesting the ideas that contributed to the team's loss.
1197"Caravan"[13]12 June 2013 (2013-06-12)7.81
Teams head to the Motorhome & Caravan Show in Birmingham, with each selling a new form of caravan trailer alongside a line of caravan accessories to visitors at the event. Endeavour focus on selling retro-styled campers, rooftop boat boxes and hooded foldable chairs, yet their accessories prove to be less popular and thus difficult to sell, while their choice of trailer makes no sales due to a lack of interest from visitors. Evolve focus on selling collapsible campers, electric bikes and children's camping kits, managing favourable sales due to the popularity of their accessories and a strong salesperson, despite the high prices they charge. Endeavour lose the task on sales figures, after Evolve win with their choices. Amongst the losing team, Kurt Wilson is fired for his awful leadership, the choice of products, his lack of sales, and his previous performance in tasks, while Natalie Panayi is dismissed for her poor excuses, her failure to secure the popular accessories, and her unimpressive track record.
1208"Online Dating"[14]19 June 2013 (2013-06-19)7.48
Each team is tasked with creating a brand-new online dating concept, complete with TV advert, and pitching their concept to industry experts. Endeavour focus their concept at targeting young businesspeople, producing a well-received advert, despite questions being raised on the advertising's tone and the design of their dating website. Evolve focus their concept at targeting over-50s, though the team were thrown into chaos when the chosen leader dropped out of the role and left another to take it over, resulting in their creation being poorly received after the experts criticise it featuring an incomplete website, and a poorly produced advert that focused on the wrong target market. Based on feedback from the experts, Lord Sugar deems Endeavour's concept the best, leaving Evolve to face a review of their performance. Amongst the losing team, Jason Leech is fired for abdicating as the team's leader during the task, failing to show assertiveness, and for demonstrating an unsuitable personality for business.
1219"Ready Meal"[15]26 June 2013 (2013-06-26)7.30
Making a brand-new type of ready meal is the basis of the next task, with each team seeking out orders from retailers upon pitching their creation to them. Endeavour design a brand aimed at children, yet while the taste of their meal is well received, they receive few orders due to criticism over the design of their packaging being deemed inappropriate for their target market. Evolve design a brand aimed at adult and featuring a fusion of two cuisine styles, yet despite criticism over the bland taste of their meal, they secure reasonable orders due to positive feedback on the appealing concept and packaging they create. In the boardroom, Evolve win the task with the order total they achieve, leaving Endeavour to face scrutiny on the flaws of their meal concept. Amongst the final three, Alex Mills is dismissed for allowing himself to be convinced to go with a concept that was unpopular, making bad gambles, and demonstrating a lack of expertise and focus that his proposal required from him.
12210"Stall-to-Shop"[16]3 July 2013 (2013-07-03)7.53
Both teams each receive £150 to start a new business with, selling whatever products they wish to offer over two days on the advice that they reinvest profits on products that are good earners. Endeavour lack a strategy for the task, having no focus on what products to sell, gambling on a product that fails to find a buyer, and making few sales, despite making some profit on a few pieces during the first day. Evolve focus on a clear strategy of selling fashion accessories, making good sales and performing well throughout both days, with the exception of the second day when they drop prices and choose a product that fails to sell. In the boardroom, Endeavour face criticism over their performance and lack of strategy on the task, after Evolve accumulate a strong income with their sales. Although the losing team is deemed equally responsible for the loss, Myles Mordaunt is ejected from the process for his poor and indecisive leadership, his bad decisions throughout the process, and for offering an unappealing business proposal.
123SP–1"The Final Five"[17]8 July 2013 (2013-07-08)3.39
As this year's series of The Apprentice draws closer to its finale, this special episode takes a look at profiling the true story behind the five remaining candidates. Discussing their backgrounds, experiences, personality, and strengths and weaknesses, are a selection of each candidate's friends, family and colleagues, as well as Lord Sugar's aides, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady.
12411"Interviews"[18]10 July 2013 (2013-07-10)8.24
After facing ten tasks as teams, the five remaining candidates now compete as individuals in their next task – a series of tough, gruelling interviews with four of Lord Sugar's most trusted associates. Each member faces scrutiny over their backgrounds, work experience, track record, and business proposals when questioned by interviewers. Feedback to Lord Sugar, alongside observations by his aides, leads him to dismiss Jordan Poulton for offering an illegitimate proposal, Neil Clough for an unsuitable proposal, and Francesca MacDuff-Varley for offering a proposal with flaws in its financing structure. Of the remaining two, Leah Totton is praised for her academic background and business skills, despite concerns on her proposal, while Luisa Zissman is given credit for her past business success, despite issues with her proposal, behaviour and motive for the investment.
125SP–2"Why I Fired Them"[19]11 July 2013 (2013-07-11)N/A
As the final looms, Lord Sugar takes a look back to the tasks he set for this year's series of The Apprentice. From making beer and new ready meals, to bargain hunting in Dubai and selling caravans in Birmingham, he relives all of the mistakes, doomed decisions, and other notable events that occurred during the process, and provides his reasons behind each firing he made amongst the candidates for the process, which ultimately whittle them down to the two finalists for this series.
12612"The Final"[20]17 July 2013 (2013-07-17)6.74

After facing a multitude of business tasks and a tough interview, the two finalists, aided by old friends, face the task of presenting their business proposal to an audience of business and industry experts, detailing key areas in it – its name, its goals, its target market, and its business structure. Luisa works to present her plans for an online bakery trade website, which is well received, despite her not being prepared for her presentation and facing raised concerns over her target markets. Leah works to present her plans for a cosmetic surgery chain, providing a smooth presentation, but faces concerns over the brand name, her pitching style, and her target market. Based on feedback from these presentations, Lord Sugar deems that Leah Totton will be his new business partner for 2013 for providing a proposal with lucrative rewards, leaving Luisa Zissman to finish as runner-up due to giving a weaker presentation, offering unappealing profit margins, and raising concerns over how focused she would be with her proposal.

Notes: This episode was originally broadcast as part of a two-hour crossover special with the programme's sister show, You're Fired. After the crossover special, this episode was broadcast separately in subsequent repeats.

Controversy

Jordan Poulton's application

As part of the programme's rules, candidates are not permitted to submit business plans for a company they do not own or co-own. However, upon applying, Jordan Poulton submitted a business plan that he was not an official director of, a fact picked up on by Claude Littner during the competition's Interview stage. Furthermore, Poulton was only prepared to yield a 15.39% equity stake to Lord Sugar, which is in direct contravention to the agreed-upon 50% partnership deal. Littner was so appalled by these revelations that he terminated the interview, after deeming Poulton a "parasite". Poulton later admitted on Twitter that he had been "naive" and apologised for "wasting everyone's time".[21]

Ratings

Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[6]

Episode
no.		 Airdate Viewers
(millions)		 BBC One
weekly ranking
1 7 May 2013 7.25 7
2 8 May 2013 6.64 8
3 15 May 2013 7.22 4
4 22 May 2013 7.69 2
5 28 May 2013 6.88 2
6 5 June 2013 7.29 2
7 12 June 2013 7.81 3
8 19 June 2013 7.48 4
9 26 June 2013 7.30 5
10 3 July 2013 7.53 5
11 10 July 2013 8.24 1
12 17 July 2013 6.74 2

Note: During the 2-hour final, the show was shared with The Apprentice: You're Hired, and as a result the figures are lower than usual. The first hour was the main show, followed directly by the corresponding episode of You're Hired.

Specials

Episode Airdate Viewers
(millions)		 BBC One
weekly ranking
The Final Five 8 July 2013 3.39 29
Why I Fired Them 11 July 2013 N/a N/a

References

  1. ^ "The Apprentice – Episodes guide". BBC One. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  2. ^ "The Apprentice series 9 – the candidates revealed". 30 April 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Apprentice winners through the years – and where they are now". Daily Star. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  4. ^ McNally, Kelby. "'I feel so lucky!' The Apprentice winner Dr Leah Totton opens her first botox clinic". Express. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Dr Leah Totton | Rejuvenation Treatments". Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Container, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  8. ^ "Beer, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  9. ^ "Flat-Pack, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  10. ^ "Farm Shop, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  11. ^ "Dubai, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  12. ^ "Away Day, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  13. ^ "Caravan, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  14. ^ "Online Dating, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  15. ^ "Ready Meal, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  16. ^ "Stall-to-Shop, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  17. ^ "The Final Five, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  18. ^ "Interviews, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  19. ^ "Why I Fired Them, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  20. ^ "The Final, Series 9, The Apprentice – BBC One".
  21. ^ "Digital Spy - TV news, TV reviews, TV ratings".
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_(UK_series_nine)