The Apprentice (British TV series): Difference between revisions

Candidates applying for the fourth series were invited to do so through the programme's official website,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apprentice.fremantlemedia.com |title=The Apprentice – Do you think you could be Sir Alan's next Apprentice? |publisher=[[Fremantle Media]] |accessdate=18 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504015957/http://apprentice.fremantlemedia.com/ |archive-date=4 May 2007 |dead-url=yes |df=dmy-all }}</ref> leading to 20,000 applications being submitted for the series,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/03_march/18/apprentice.shtml "The Apprentice – Let the boardroom battle commence!"], BBC Press Office, 18 March 2008</ref> and 16 of them making it through to take part in the show. Its first episode aired on 26 March 2008, with its debut attracting 6.4 million viewers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/wk13/unplaced.shtml#unplaced_apprentice |title=The Apprentice Ep 1/12 | accessdate=27 March 2008 |publisher=BBC Press Office| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080311054142/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/wk13/unplaced.shtml| archivedate =11 March 2008}}</ref><ref name="s4home">{{cite web |url=http://apprentice.fremantlemedia.com/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504015957/http://apprentice.fremantlemedia.com/ |archivedate=4 May 2007 |title=So you think you can be Sir Alan's next Apprentice? |accessdate=20 July 2007 |publisher=[[Fremantle Media]]}}</ref><ref name="FirstNight">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/27/tvratings.television |title=First-night record for The Apprentice |accessdate=27 March 2008 |publisher=The Guardian |date=12 June 2008 | first=Tara | last=Conlan | location=London}}</ref> This climbed to around 8.9 million viewers for the final episode, with an additional 800,000 viewers tuning in for the episode's final 15 minutes,<ref name="Attracts">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jun/12/tvratings.television |title=TV ratings: Apprentice final attracts show's highest audience|accessdate=14 June 2008 |publisher=The Guardian |date=12 June 2008 | first=Tara | last=Conlan | location=London}}</ref> to catch [[Lee McQueen (entrepreneur)|Lee McQueen]] winning the series. Lee went on to initially work for Sugar's company AMSHOLD, where he phoned in sick on his first day,<ref>{{cite news|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/entertainment/newsid_7484000/7484905.stm|work = BBC News|title = Apprentice 'off ill' on first day|date = 2 July 2008}}</ref> and then went on to work for AMSCREEN as development director, reporting to Sugar's son, [[Simon Sugar]], before leaving his employment in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3036462/Apprentice-winner-Lee-McQueen-quits-100k-job-with-Lord-Alan-Sugar.html|title = Now that's what I'm talking in public about|work = [[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]|author = Gary O'Shea|date = 1 July 2010|location = London}}</ref>