The Apprentice fans took to Twitter in amazement this evening after learning that Phil Turner had managed to scrape through to the final five after being on the losing team an astonishing nine out of 10 times.
Pie company owner Phil has been desperate to get a slice of Lord Alan Sugar’s tantalising £250,000 investment – but he’ll have to prove himself first.
Last week, he was issued a warning, as characteristically straight-talking Lord Sugar told him: “Look at this fellow here, he’s lost nine times.
“And they’re saying, ‘Lord Sugar what are you doing? It can’t just be bad luck. Right, Phil, [in the] next task, you are going to be the project manager and if you lose, you are gone. Get it?”
He agreed the ultimatum was “fair” – but today, as the contestants set their sights on creating and pitching a new vegan cheese, Twitter fans argued that Phil still hasn’t improved sufficiently to justify his place in the final five.
“#TheApprentice this season couldn’t be more rigged if they tried omg .. giving Phil a food task, giving him the extra person, surviving 9 losses when people have been fired over 1… it’s actually p***ing me off,” one fan raged.
They harshly added: “He should be GONE I’m sick of him!” Another exclaimed: “#TheApprentice Phil was clearly set up to win.”
“Gosh I really hope Phil’s team won today his track record is p*** poor #TheApprentice,” a third joked. “HOW on earth has Phil made it to the final 5 #TheApprentice?” another agreed.
One fan seemed exasperated with all the contestants, joking: “The way my 4 year old niece could do a better job on all these tasks combined than all this years contestants!”
As followers continued to harshly critique him, another sarcastically sniped: “Phil’s going to win this isn’t he? “Side note, he threw Flo under the bus during the meeting with the buyers.. also his weakest week or that’s how it’s been edited to look.”
However, Phil believes that failures are the only way to learn, as he recently revealed.
“Building my business over the years is a succession of failures. Almost everything I’ve done for the first time failed in one way or another,” he defended.
“I live by the motto ‘we win or we learn’. There is no failure that I have encountered in business or life that has not been necessary for growth. Failure is necessary for success.”
The Apprentice airs on Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.