The Apprentice - BBC series 4 - week 8 - Let Them Eat Cake!

The two teams were mixed up once more and Helene led the newly reformed Renaissance team of Alex, Sara and Michael. Lucinda led a new Alpha, comprising of Lee, Claire and Raef. After the confrontations between Helene and Lucinda in a previous photo task, rivalry was always going to be keen.

This week’s task was to compete for business in the wedding market, at the busy throughfare of the NEC’s annual wedding fayre. Getting married is one of the highest ranked stressors on the Holme and Rahe stress rating, and clearly the teams found it every bit as stressful if not more so!

Helene focussed on the middle range of bridal wear and Lucinda plumped for the higher priced posh frocks.

A decorous Helene went for the lady in red look but it’s debatable how she contributed positively to the task short of overseeing a complete disaster and making dire choices. Lucinda looked elegant in grey and swopped her usual beret for some sparkly hair clips.

Helene split her team and each pairing saw some of the different ranges. Lucinda’s organisation was much better and Raef and Claire viewed all the wedding dress collections before making a suggestion, which Lucinda went after.

Budgeting is something many brides have to do, but then the wedding dress often breaks the budget and for a bride’s special day, only the best will do more often than not. In the end three dresses was all it took, three dresses and Lee’s thong and flip-flop fervour that is. For this task was won and lost on product selection. Not only did Lucinda’s team plump for the best and internationally renowned dress designer, they also secured their second product selection because of their choice. The lingerie owner deciding the designer gowns would marry well with her range of bridal treats.

The episode was full of fine pantomime moments, Raef expanding the theory that women who wear size 16 dresses did so for a reason, “They love cake!” Michael desperate to sell cake had a fit with one bride telling her "You're going to pay £200 more for a traditional cake and it's going to look dull. It’s a real shame; it's your bloody wedding!"

Unfortunately for Sara Dhada, her liking of cake was her undoing. She, along with Michael was given the harder of the two lines to sell. Who indeed would buy a budget ranged wedding dress and then fork out more for a wedding cake? Nice bit of sidestepping by Helene there. Alex did the best in his team but he also had the easier job.

This was a frustrating episode. I’m still not clear what Raef does, or how Michael manages to remain. I’m unclear how Alex manages to consistently lose and yet escaped blame. And I can't believe how bad Helene was as project manager for a second task, making disastrous executive decisions, making fundamental errors about who viewed what.

This week Lucinda showed everyone how teams can work well together. She made crucial choices, empowered her team, gave them individual responsibilities and then backed their judgement calls. When she needed to have some fresh impetus, she moved her team around.

Helene on the other hand initially blamed everyone but herself. She made critical judgement calls on part of the evidence and alienated two thirds of her team. She was very lucky not to get fired.

Sadly that slot was Sara’s. Adrian Chiles presented her with her own You’ve just been fired cake this evening on You're Fired!

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