Drama abounded in epsisode five of The Apprentice (1 June), as Lord Sugar upped the ante by masterminding a shock double firing.
The boardroom tension was palpable as Ellie Read and Vincent Disneur were sent packing after failing in a task to advertise dog food. Direct from all the action, Ellie joined Stylist live online for our wekly Apprentice web chat.
The managing director of a construction recruitment company, 33-year-old Ellie was born in Bradford and started her working life with a paper round.
She went on to start a new business during a recession, playing a crucial role in helping it become one of the most successful in its market. She describes herself as "positive, fun and driven" and once chased a burglar out of her house aged 17.
In the latest episode of The Apprentice, Ellie was singled out for failing to pull her weight onboard team Logic as they went about marketing their "EveryDog" pet food in a 30-second ad.
Criticising her for not being forceful enough, Lord Sugar said, "I haven’t seen much of you Ellie and I don’t think I could go into business with you, so I’m going to tell you that - you’re fired."
Then came the killer moment, as he also sacked smooth-talking sales manager (and team leader) Vincent Disneur, after accusing him of games-playing by bringing Natasha Scribbins instead of Jim Eastwood (who named the ill-fated food) back into the boardroom.
The web chat has now finished, but you can read all the comments, questions and Ellie's answers below.
