Irish beauty salon owner Aoibheann Walsh has been fired from the latest series of The Apprentice after contestants were challenged to create a virtual holographic pop star and record a song and music video.
The Donegal native was fired on the BBC business show by Alan Sugar, who said he had not "heard much" from her so far, with last week's challenge seeing the contestants tasked with selling holiday tours in Austria.
In Thursday’s episode, Amber-Rose Badrudin headed one team and chose to create a rap duo called Fred and Nadz, while the other team led by Anisa Khan, who previously led her team to defeat in the last episode, decided to create a female pop singer called Bami.
The team which created Bami won the task, amassing £215,000 (€257,000) in sponsorship money for their character, despite Sugar expressing disappointment they had put a one-year break clause in a £250,000 (€299,000) five-year deal with Alfa Romeo, meaning he felt it was only worth £50,000 (€59,000).
Fred and Nadz amassed £112,000 (€134,000) after three brands invested in the character, but Sugar described it as "less Stormzy and more (Keir) Starmer".
The sacking decision was between salon firm owner Nadia Suliaman, team leader Badrudin and Walsh, with Sugar and his advisers Karren Brady and Tim Campbell eventually deciding to fire Walsh.
At the end of the episode, Sugar said in the boardroom: "Aoibheann, one of the big mistakes being made here was digitising the voice which put a lot of people off.
"On balance, Aoibheann, I don’t think in the last two tasks I’ve actually heard much from you or seen you do much. So, I’m sorry to say, Aoibheann, you’re fired."
In the taxi afterwards, Letterkenny-based Walsh said: "I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t really get the opportunity to shine.
"I do wish I did speak out a little more and if I did, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now."
It comes after Emma Rothwell became the first candidate to be fired by Sugar in last week’s episode.
The Apprentice will return at 9pm next Thursday on BBC One.
Source: Press Association
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