James White and Sarah Lynn have made in through to the final on ‘The Apprentice’.
The 35-year-old confectionery company owner and the 26-year-old hunk are in with the chance of nabbing Lord Sugar’s £250,000 and becoming his business partner after they sailed through to the last round of the competition in tonight’s (13.12.17) episode.
However, it wasn’t all smiles in the boardroom as Joanna Jarjue, Elizabeth McKenna and Michaela Wain fell at the final hurdle as they were given the boot by the magnate.
Joanna was the first to get the axe as the 70-year-old business genius didn’t feel he could join forces with her because she has "no knowledge of the market at all."
He told her: "I can’t go into business with somebody who has no knowledge of the market at all. Honestly and sincerely, you are a very intelligent young lady, there’s no question of that. But at this moment in time Joanna, I have to say to you, that you will not be my business partner and regretfully – you’re fired!"
Elizabeth followed swiftly behind because Lord Sugar couldn’t see her florist shops expanding and becoming a "big business" – and that’s something he wants.
He told her: "Elizabeth, you’ve got three florist shops and you make a modest profit and the backbone of the economy of this country is made up of people like you.
"But you know I’m interested in big business and at this stage I can’t see the scaling up. So, it is with regret – you’re fired!"
He then had to send the three remaining candidates out so that he could speak further with his trusty aides Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner.
He said: "Sarah, you’ve got a business already, albeit that it’s not been exploited to the full I feel, and I struggle in understanding that. The sensitivity that I have with you Michaela is that our business could start going a little bit downhill and you might lose interest because you’ve got interest in other businesses – it’s human nature."
"James, you haven’t been in business before on your own and I’ve got people either side of you that have, and you’ve got a very, very optimistic business plan. Your proposition is quite hard for me to envisage.
"But Michaela, this business has got to be 100 per cent with me and I don’t want you being de-focused somewhere else. Michaela – you’re fired!"
James White and Sarah Lynn make Apprentice final
