The "What Ifs" of Kristina Grimes or Simon Ambrose becoming Alan Sugar's Apprentice

Sir Alan Sugar is once again about to hire his new apprentice. It will be his third apprentice to date, the previous two are no longer with him, having moved onto individual ventures. The first, Tim Campbell, has started up his own clothing business using British products. The second Michelle Dewberry has done a few laps of the celebrity F list and is now launching her own website. She has started giving talks on doing things. Jolly Dee.

It's fair to remember that the two Apprentices to date were in effect runner ups to Saira Khan and Ruth Badger, who were the winning finalists on the respective final tasks of their series. Both are doing very well. Both have their own TV programmes, Saira’s Beat the Boss and Ruth Badger’s Badger or Bust have emerged from a flurry of guest appearances on various daytime and evening shows where each gave and demonstrated business advice and acumen.

What if either of both Saira and Ruth had been appointed? The rumours last year of Ruth taking Viglen by storm, increasing productivity and sales with her team to record levels, and then declining a job offer by Alan Sugar have stayed fairly in the background. But both Saira and Ruth have become very successful, and good for them. In my mind they were individually the better of the finalists and not appointing them appeared to be bizarre. But what if they had been appointed, Saira to relaunch an already struggling product and Ruth on disposal of old computer parts. Hardly the job dreams of made of, surely? In either case! What if they had been appointed? Underachievers most probably of their true potential and with less success, status and wealth.

What if Katie Hopkins had stayed firm and resolute after being told she was a finalist? Would she have taken the job if offered it? Would she have been offered it? Had she won would the production team have depicted her in ruthless assassin mode with backstabbing comments and death wishes upon her rivals? If Katie had stayed who would she have been up against in the final task? The determined, gritty, sales powerhouse Kristina Grimes or the break dancing, rapping, exceptionally bright underachieving Simon Ambrose? Katie did withdraw however, and now either Kristina or Simon will become the next apprentice and be assigned to the concrete broom cupboards of Brentwood.

What if after the unofficial six months true apprenticeship the chosen apprentice has realised it is the wrong career move? What if, shudder and perish at the thought that Alan Sugar finally makes up his mind as to who he wants and then his chosen candidate refuses it? What if that would actually happen? Would he offer it to the losing finalist? There has to be one winner. Surely? Unless. .. That is.. What if he decides he wants them both? Would he try and employ both?

So many "What ifs", So many “Maybes”. I would hazard a guess that if his chosen Apprentice was to decline the job (ludicrous surely?), that he would offer it to the less able finalist who was keen to leave their cottage internet industry in pursuit of someone organising their lives and giving them direction. Oh. But what if they declined the job too? So many questions and much much more. Too many “What Ifs”. Aren’t there? One thing is evident however, losing isn’t necessarily the best option and winning may not necessarily fall to the best candidate.

Join in the discussions with several of these years’ Apprentice candidates on our Apprentice forum and ask them the questions. Oh and of course the answer to all the “What ifs".. is actually .. “so what?”.

Simon has already starting releasing information about the trauma of coming from a broken home which sounds uncannily like Michelle’s colourful tales last year. Please, no more details, it’s boring frankly. Those of us who haven't come from broken homes have probably wrecked them. Get over it, move on and live life instead.