Two contestants who were reduced to tears on The Apprentice were ‘not up to the job’, friends of Baroness Karren Brady have said.
The television star – one of Lord Alan Sugar’s ‘advisers’ on the reality business show – came under attack after two hopefuls ended up crying during the interview round in last Thursday’s episode.
Meanwhile, the West Ham United chief executive was so irked at another contestant using her first name that she replied: ‘It’s Baroness Brady to you, my friends call me Karren.’
One Twitter user said: ‘New low for the Apprentice. Bullying young girls who want to open sweet shops. Cringe.’
Another wrote: ‘The Apprentice is the worst of all reality shows, because that’s all it is now. Exploitative, manipulative and basically bullying.’ Elsewhere, the episode was described as ‘borderline bullying from a load of old dinosaurs’.
Karren Brady – one of Lord Alan Sugar’s ‘advisers’ on the reality business show – came under attack after two hopefuls ended up crying during the interview round in last Thursday’s episode
But friends of Ms Brady’s yesterday jumped to her defence, saying: ‘This isn’t Karren’s fault, you have to be tough to be in business and not have the snowflake qualities that so many young people have these days.’
Another said: ‘They were simply not up to the job.’
A spokesman for the BBC also backed Ms Brady, 53, who has been working as a businesswoman since she was 19 years old.
He said: ‘The interviews round is more than just a normal interview.
‘Its purpose is to help determine whose business plan has the potential to secure the £250k investment from Lord Sugar.
‘As such, every detail must be thoroughly scrutinised and advisers will at times need to ask difficult questions. The stakes are high for candidates and emotions do run high as they want to secure a place in the final.’
Sources close to The Apprentice insisted that they take the welfare of anyone involved with the programme seriously – and pointed out that there is a dedicated welfare team on hand to support candidates through every part of the process.
