Time to say buy-buy as Gavin is fired from The Apprentice

In one of my all time favourite tasks, Lord Sugar sets the contestants, what seems like the simplest of all challenges – buy 10 items for the lowest price. How hard can it be? Very.

The key to this task is planning. Upfront planning pays dividends, especially in a place like London where you have to cover large distances and contend with traffic at most times of the day. The second trick is to prioritise the list – make sure you go after the most expensive items first so that if you do run out of time, the fines are limited to the low value items.

I rubbed my hands with glee at the mixing of the teams – Vincent was in fine form with his lording over his 3 female team mates. Felicity’s utter disbelief that the shopkeeper wouldnt even give her a 1p off the price of the top hat was just hillarious. Melody didnt feature a lot, probably too busy telling anyone who would listen about rubbing shoulders with Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama and Al Gore.

A cloche call

It was clear from the beginning that Gavin was going to be in trouble. He seemed really out his depth and wasnt able to control his team. Susan, on the other hand, seemed more adept at the leadership, although her negotiation skills left much to be desired.

The obscure items were perfect. In my series it was the ever ellusive Nigella seeds that sent us chasing our tails. In tonight’s episode, the cloche was fanstastic, and I was certain I heard Melody ponder ‘where can I find syphilis’!

In the end, Gavin had to go. Zoe had better step up soon – as Lord Sugar would say, her card is well and truly marked.

What did you think of the candidates’ negotiation skills? I was in China recently and I managed to get 90% off the price of a digital photo frame. Whats the biggest discount you’ve ever wangled? Let us know below.

© BBC

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