'The Apprentice': Jadine Johnson

This week on The Apprentice, Sir Alan challenged his seven remaining protegés to prove their trading skills. While Katie's team managed to make over £2,000 from a variety of Canadian goods - including something claiming to be a 'rug in a box' - Tre's team struggled. Their efforts to sell a selection of Swedish products, namely vacuum cleaner heads, air purifiers and organic dolls, were hampered by a homesick Jadine and an uncharacteristically scatty Simon. Who was fired? Jadine, who Sir Alan felt lacked the necessary experience to become his apprentice. We caught up with the former financial adviser to discuss her transformation during the series, what she makes of Brand Katie and how on earth she managed to expose Sir Alan's sensitive side.

How are you feeling after hearing those infamous words from Sir Alan?
"Really good. Really good. It was a rollercoaster ride. I've made massive changes and I've really grown as a person. I just think the whole experience was really worthwhile for me."

In the early stages Sir Alan described you as "controversial" and "argumentative", but you really managed to tone yourself down as the series progressed. How hard was this?
"I think when you want something bad enough, you'll do what you need to do in terms of self-development to get it. I think, for the first time in my life, I had someone tell me: 'Look, you have to do this, this and this in order to progress.' That rarely happens within business because everyone's always trying to step over everyone else. I enjoy criticism because obviously you can learn from it: I try to take it constructively rather than not. I still managed, after that criticism, to make it all the way through to week eight. It just goes to show that you don't have to be all self-assertive and strong, because you can use other methods and still get the same results."

What do you think was your undoing?
"My undoing was probably missing home. Sir Alan saw it and probably thought, 'Let's put this girl out of her misery. She's done pretty well; she's obviously taken on board what I said and she's done her time. Let's allow her to go with some grace.' You know, I don't argue with the boss - at least not any more! But I just think I'd really proved myself up until that point, especially after the third week, when I went it into the boardroom and got my real rollicking from Sir Alan. He really did give it to me and it was up to me to kind of take it on board. I think if I'd gone on the show to be TV personality of the year I'd have continued in the same vein, but that, for me, isn't why I went there. I really did want to be Sir Alan's apprentice. I just wanted to learn and make the most out of the whole experience, which I think I've done."

Sir Alan was quite kind to you in the boardroom. Are you proud to be the first candidate in the history of The Apprentice to have exposed his sensitive side?
"That was good, wasn't it? It was really quite sweet and, yeah, I was proud. It's all good with me."

Sir Alan said in the boardroom that you weren't "the finished product". Do you agree with this?
"Totally. I think I've developed loads since I started, and I hope to keep developing. The only problem I have with that comment is that apprentices don't need to be a finished product. They're there to be moulded, and I thought that I displayed that. I wanted to be moulded and to become better than anyone there."

What do you think he's looking for from his apprentice?
"Someone like him! I don't know this time around. He's just got such a hard job on his hands. Let's wait and see. I'd hate to speculate."

Who do you think the frontrunner is?
"Me. You just don't know - I could be back next week!"

That's very intriguing...
"It's good, isn't it? Watch this space."

What do you make of Katie? She's certainly the most controversial candidate this year.
"So I hear! You know what, I shared a room with Katie and I found her lovely. She was really nice to me and I hope it was all genuine. We'd have chats, long chats. She could sympathise with me about my daughter, and I could sympathise with her about her children. We got on really well; I really like Katie. I think that she's very intelligent and very smart. She's a brand consultant so she obviously knows what she's doing. I think Katie is branding herself, so good for her."

Do you really think she wants to become Sir Alan's apprentice?
"Um...does she really want to become the apprentice? Would she become the apprentice with those kind of comments - I think that's the real question. She's not really showing that she wants to be the apprentice, is she? Not with those kind of backstabbing traits. She could be England's Miss Nasty though!"

And what do you make of Tre?
"Again, TV personality of the year springs to mind! For me, Sir Alan's signed up to do this because he's trying to look for someone for a job. I think it's quite disrespectful for some people to be seen to be using that experience to further themselves. That kind of upset me when I was there, but I just kind of thought, 'If that's what it's all about, maybe I'm better off out of it anyway'. That's not what it was about for me. I thought I was signing up for an interview, and a serious one at that. You know, the way some of them behave really isn't professional and it wouldn't be acceptable in any office, let alone on The Apprentice."

Do you think any of the candidates were fired a bit prematurely?
"Me, me and me! That's a hard one actually. You've thrown me! I think everyone goes at the right time and the people who are there now really, really want to win. The question now is, do they want to win for the sake of winning or do they want to win to get the job?"

And finally, do you have any regrets about appearing on the show?
"No, no way. None at all."

The Apprentice continues on Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.