Lord Sugar fires first 'Apprentice'

Edward Hunter became the first candidate fired from series seven of The Apprentice tonight after failing to impress Lord Sugar in a fruit and veg sales task.

Hunter was the Project Manager in the boys' Team Logic, which lost out in a battle with the girls' Team Venture. Logic's orange juice and soup only raised a profit of £432.13, compared to Venture's £592.33 with pasta and fruit salad.

Hunter always looked likely to face the chop in the boardroom as Lord Sugar became increasingly frustrated by the accountant's evasive answers.

"Ed, you were trained at one of the leading accountancy firms in the country, I believe?" asked Sugar at one point. The 25-year-old replied vaguely: "Don't fit the mould."

An angry Sugar responded: "I beg your pardon? Can you stop talking to me in semaphore, we're not sending each other text messages!"

He added later to Karren Brady and Nick Hewer: "Edward reminds me of a very slow internet line. You have to sit and wait as you see him ticking over."

Hunter brought back Leon Doyle and Gavin Winstanley for the final boardroom showdown, but Sugar was clear in his decision over the first firing of the series.

"Edward, I admire your enthusiasm to take on the team leader role but clearly you had no expertise here. Edward, one thing you need to learn in life is not be ashamed of what you're best at doing," he said.

"You said on your résumé - 'I'm Lord Sugar's dream'. With the greatest of respect you've been a bit of a nightmare, and for that reason - you're fired!"

Speaking in the black taxi home, Hunter said: "At the end of the day Lord Sugar didn't see what he wanted in me and I can accept that. I'm only 25, the world is my oyster. Roll with the punches."

The Apprentice continues on Wednesday, May 11 at 9pm on BBC One.

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