Viewers fumed over Lord Sugar’s comment (Picture: BBC)
The Apprentice viewers have blasted Lord Alan Sugar for a brutal comment he made to Victoria Goulbourne as he fired her.
Dani Donovan, Marnie Swindells, Megan Hornby, Rochelle Anthony and Victoria reached the penultimate hurdle to become Lord Sugar’s business partner, and win his £250,000 investment.
After a savage interview stage, which saw Baroness Karren Brady join Linda Plant, Mike Soutar, and Claude Littner grill the hopefuls, Lord Sugar decided who his final two would be.
And unfortunately, Victoria was not one of them.
The online sweetshop owner was fired from the boardroom, with Lord Sugar telling her: ‘The thing is Victoria, there is nothing unique about your market, your business.
‘Frankly, I’m not sweet on your idea, I’m afraid.
Victoria became another victim of the boardroom (Picture: BBC)
‘So it’s been nice working with you, but it is with regret you’re fired.’
As she left the room, he added: ‘Keep it as a hobby. No, it makes a good hobby.’
Viewers were less than impressed with his comment, with one writing: ‘The most patronising firing of all time,’ while another called it ‘cold’.
Someone else said: ‘Fair amount of patronising of Victoria going on there tonight – quite unpleasant – from telling her to go back to being cabin crew, to keeping her business “as a hobby”‘.
Another penned: ‘I have so much respect for Victoria – her business plan was a non-starter but she has clearly worked so hard and did make the final five, and “keep it as a hobby” was the most horribly condescending way to end her series.’.
Lord Sugar’s comment came after Linda told Victoria, during a brutal interview: ‘Let your cottage industry, and you know what, if it’s no good, the airlines, they need good stewardesses at the moment’.
A disappointed Victoria recalled to the other girls: ‘She was savage! At one point, she told me I could get a job back at the airline – whatever! She said my business was a cottage business, so yeah.’
The Apprentice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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