Fired Apprentice Candidates Speak Out Against Lord Sugar's Decisions
As The Apprentice returns for its landmark twentieth series, two recently eliminated candidates have broken their silence about their controversial firings. Both Nikki Jetha and Georgina Newton were sent packing by business magnate Lord Alan Sugar in the season's opening episode, but neither believes the decision was justified.
Hong Kong Task Proves Challenging for New Candidates
To commemorate two decades of the iconic BBC business competition, Lord Sugar dispatched all twenty hopefuls to Hong Kong for an ambitious opening challenge. The teams were tasked with sourcing nine specific items at bargain prices within the bustling Asian trading hub. However, both the male and female teams encountered significant difficulties navigating unfamiliar territory, managing tight deadlines, and executing fundamental business strategies.
In an unprecedented move, Lord Sugar conducted the boardroom session outside London for the first time in the show's history. The female team's performance proved particularly disastrous, managing to purchase only two required items while half their members arrived nearly two hours late to the designated finish line, incurring substantial penalties.
Georgina Newton: "I Didn't Deserve to Be Fired"
Georgina Newton, a 31-year-old actress and events manager, expressed profound disappointment about her elimination. "I didn't deserve to be fired," she stated emphatically. "In the first episode, I probably contributed more than anybody on my team. For the show, the person that contributes the least should go home. I thought I had a few more weeks, at least, left in me."
The rejection affected Newton deeply. "I was devastated," she admitted. "I spent two weeks feeling sorry for myself but then I picked myself back up, put myself back together and cracked on ready for the next thing. But I was really sad."
Despite the setback, Newton found silver linings in the experience. The Hong Kong trip marked her first long-haul flight, and she gained valuable personal insights. "I've been performing in theatre all of my life," she explained. "I've always played a character, and I think for a lot of my life, I've hidden behind being somebody else. Being in this process, it's the first time I've ever done anything just as Georgie. What I realise the most from this is that I am enough just as I am. I can hold my own. I'm enough, and I think that's a really lovely takeaway."
Nikki Jetha Defends Her Leadership Amid Team Struggles
Nikki Jetha, the 33-year-old project manager for the struggling female team, also contested her dismissal. Despite being among those who arrived late, Jetha maintained she shouldn't have been fired because she took leadership responsibility for an unorganised group.
"I did not get to show more of myself and what I'm capable of, but I definitely don't feel defeated," Jetha asserted. "I stepped forward, I took a risk and I own the outcome. I was brave enough to stand up and take on a challenge during the first task. It was unfamiliar territory—not knowing the process, let alone the country, and not having the internet and things like that. But I did the best I could do under the pressure, with limited information."
Jetha expressed pride in her proactive approach despite the consequences. "I'd rather be fired for stepping up than staying safe in the background," she declared. "There's a saying that ships are safest in the harbour, but that's not what they're built for."
The former candidate offered pointed criticism about some teammates' attitudes without naming individuals. "There were some people who weren't team players, and they didn't contribute," she revealed. "They spent more time complaining and moaning, as opposed to giving ideas and working out how we can push forward."
Life After The Apprentice Boardroom
Both eliminated candidates have moved forward with their professional lives since their television departure. Georgina Newton has secured employment selling products for various brands on the social media platform TikTok and aspires to eventually work on a dedicated shopping channel.
Nikki Jetha has returned to her established career while balancing family responsibilities. "I'm doing exactly what I do best," she explained. "I'm a mortgage advisor, I'm still advising my clients, growing my business and building my brand. But ultimately, I'm still a mum, family-focused. I'm definitely not slowing down, and this is not the last you have seen of me."
The twentieth series of The Apprentice continues to air on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer every Thursday evening at 9:00 PM, featuring eighteen remaining candidates competing for Lord Sugar's £250,000 investment in their business ventures.
