The Apprentice 2016: Courtney Wood and Alana Spencer enter final after triple firing in interviews round

Only two candidates have made it into Sunday night’s episode
Finalists: Courtney (centre) and Alana (far right) have made it to the Apprentice final
BBC/Boundless
Ben Travis16 December 2016

The Apprentice has waved goodbye to three candidates in the intense interviews round.

With the final looming on Sunday night, the show said goodbye to Grainne McCoy, Jessica Cunningham, and Frances Bishop.

The final five were given a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusted interviewers, including full-time aide Claude Littner.

The episode revealed what the hopefuls’ business plans involved – and their ideas were scrutinised with no stone left unturned.

Claude Littner gave the candidates a grilling
BBC

It seemed Lord Sugar couldn’t get his head around the scope of Grainne’s ambitious make-up business.

“You know I’m going to be bluntly honest with you – I just can’t see this,” he told her. “It’s been nice to be associated with you but it is with regret you’re fired.”

Jessica proposed a business that involved celebrities endorsing and wearing her branded clothes, reaping the rewards as their followers rush out to buy them too.

But the idea was too ‘risky’ for Lord Sugar to invest in.

The Apprentice 2016 - who's been fired?

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“Jessica, I think you’ve got great sales ability but it’s a very, very risky idea,” he said. “Jessica, it is with regret that you’re fired.”

Meanwhile, Frances’ idea was questioned over the way it would scale into a national chain – shops selling end-of-line boutique children’s clothes on to consumers.

“Frances, this idea is not scalable,” Lord Sugar told her. “I want a big business so I wish you the best of luck but I am not going to be investing in you. So, Frances, you’re fired.”

Making it through was Courtney Wood, who wants Lord Sugar to invest in his novelty gift business, and Alana Spencer, who plans to sell her traybake cakes across the nation.

In Sunday night’s final, each candidate will have to pitch and present their own business ideas to industry experts with the help of fired contestants.

BBC One, 9pm

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