This is my number one favourite reality show, and I really like Dragon's Den. I do think both are vastly superior to the excrement that is Big Brother. True, some of the contestants have at times shown a lack of ambition and scope, and I am probably the only person who found Debra Barr of the recent season really unpleasant and patronising, like Saira in the first season and the horrible Katie Hopkins from season 3. Still, the Apprentice is very very entertaining. The tasks are very interesting too, season 3's teleshopping channel and the season 4 Marakesh tasks were classics. I like Alan Sugar too, he is honest, straight talking and funny, and the boardroom scenes are just priceless, especially when he summed up perfectly one team's idea in last series' cereal box and advertising week, when he cried, "the whole thing sucks" in reference to I think was the pants man idea. His "sick on a stick"(season 3) and "only room for one big gob"(season 1) were also great. I like Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford too, they shed light on how they think the teams do. Overall, I really love this. A definite 10/10 Bethany Cox

Now in its fifth series, 'The Apprentice' has 14 candidates for a top job with Sir Alan Sugar's group of companies - carrying out a range of tasks (face painting, washing cars, cooking, making a TV commercial, launching a product, selling sandwiches, etc.) in order to be in the winning team at the end of the day.With catchphrases like 'this is a job interview from hell' and, carried over from the US version, 'You're fired', it can come across a bit more reality TV than business acumen. The eventual winners have ranged from nice Tim to liar Lee to dim Michelle to er, the other one. Strong characters tend to stay in until the last few weeks to give the viewer something to loathe.Sir Alan's aides, Nick and Margaret, are good value to watch, their expressions showing their disdain for the candidates as they flunk one task after another. And yes, these high flyers are dim - the scary thing is that the candidates have top salary jobs outside of 'The Apprentice'! As a reality show, it's watchable and fun - even though the last two series have had candidates who play up to the camera more than their predecessors. As a business programme, it's fairly useless - even the tasks have got less interesting as the series has progressed.

From the outset, this show has always been interesting. Tempers fraying, tense boardroom meetings and the on-going quarrels of Saira and Paul all mix together to make one hell of a good show.I, myself, am rooting for Saira to win, but that is irrelevant at the moment. For anyone who hasn't watched it as of yet, do so. Yeah, Alan Sugar is a rude and ignorant jerk - but it just makes it more compelling to watch! As to who I think will win...well Miriam and James are good contenders, Paul is hope goes next because I find him repulsive, but he has a good chance. Saira also has a good chance.Plus, Alan, I praise you for kicking Raj out - totally inadiquate.

The beginning of March 2005 saw one of the best programs to ever air on English TV. The Apprentice.This English remake of the hit American series sees millionaire entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar search through 12 young hopefuls to find his apprentice - the award being a 6 figure salary and the chance to work with him.The hopefuls range, some high flying university graduates to some who never attended school - all going for the same job.To enable Sir Alan Sugar to pick his apprentice he splits these hopefuls into 2 teams (originally boys and girls) and then sets them tasks - these tasks can be anything from; Selling flowers on Londons Streets, to holding top celebrity auctions, creating advertising campaigns and let us not forget creating a brand new toy for the market - the episode and "secret signals" still haunts me!Every week the loosing team has Sir Alan Sugar fire the person who performed least in the task - and in the board room looks them in the face and says "You're Fired!"The series is a brilliant piece of television. It has everything TV needs, suspense, drama, laughter and bitchiness. They all soon learn a big part of this show is not learning how to cope with the challenges but learning to cope with each over.Overall an amazing, brilliant piece of television. The sort of television that has you an inch away from your screen for the whole hour shouting at the screen as the hopefuls stab their team mates in the back, lie and stitch each over up - all to get in that position of being an apprentice.Broadcast on BBC2, the 12 60 minute episodes all offered superb entertainment and left the audience not wanting to blink at any stage during the program!A brilliant piece of television, fingers crossed for a DVD release and 2nd series!"YOU'RE FIRED!"