It might have lacked the brusque finality of his tormentor’s catchphrase, but at least Scott Saunders' parting shot as he walked out on The Apprentice had the advantage of originality.
After a coruscating attack on his business abilities from Lord Sugar, the 27-year-old reportedly walked off the set to become the first contestant to quit in anger during the show’s 11-series history.
With his walkout went any opportunity of winning a £250,000 investment that he had declared himself supremely confident of winning before the start of the show’s run. Mr Saunders, a self-described entrepreneur, speaker, mentor and model, had been belittled and criticised by the peer in the boardroom before he decided that he had enough and walked out, according to The Sun on Sunday. “Thank you for the opportunity, but I quit,” he is reported as saying – allegedly sparking a renewed verbal attack from Lord Sugar.
While contestants have left the show for family and other reasons during the 10-year history of the show in the UK, Mr Saunders is the first to do so after taking offence at Lord Sugar’s abrasive approach, who ends the show by telling one of the contestants, “you’re fired”.
He had previously described himself as a “one hundred million per cent” confident that he could win the show, which perhaps pointed more towards his supreme self‑assurance than his grasp of the nitty-gritty of accounting realities.
The entrepreneur, who runs his own payroll-services company for the self-employed, had at the start of the series somewhat mystifyingly described his motto as: “To be the best you need to be the best, and I am the best.”
Mr Saunders’ various social media outlets gave no hint of upheaval after The Sun on Sunday quoted a source as saying that Lord Sugar “tore apart everything that Scott had done from start to finish and called him a waste of space”.
The BBC have declined to comment on Mr Saunders apparent departure. “We never comment on upcoming episodes because it spoils viewer enjoyment,” a spokesperson for the show said.
Mr Saunders had told his local newspaper that he loved the show. “I was seeking investment at the time, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me to secure advice from someone big in the UK,” he told the Hertfordshire Mercury.
“I have always strived hard to succeed and achieve in anything I have done. So I have a lot of respect for anyone who takes those steps needed to get them where they want.”
