This may be a case of self-delusional nostalgia, but it feels like during the early years of the BBC’s The Apprentice, the show was more of a business programme with real lessons to be learned. Tasks were interesting and posed real problems, and the show took time to explain the business concepts.

Now the programme has so much competition for our attention that it feels like the business element has been lost, to be replaced with entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with entertainment, but the show used to have more depth and an important message.

I don’t know about you, but if I were looking to invest in a business I wouldn’t wait until week ten to check out the business plan. It seems strange to me that the businesses being pitched in the final four consist of:

  1. An alcoholic protein drink
  2. A pyjama company
  3. A dessert café
  4. An online reseller for 2nd hand designer clothes

Are these really the best ideas for businesses that the process can come up with for Lord Alan Sugar to invest in?! Surely the procedure for selecting the potential candidates should have reviewed these business ideas and discounted at least two of these before the whole process started.

The fact that these ideas even made it to the candidate stage indicates that the show is no longer a business show, but an entertainment one. It is fairly obvious, watching the highly edited show, that the whole point is to entertain and not inform.

I wonder if Alan Sugar and the other serious businesspeople in his team are proud of the programme that is produced.

So sadly, no business lessons learned here but I will still be tuning in to the final because it is entertaining and I want to see who walks away with the investment.