Andy, You're Fired!

How did it feel to watch the episode?
Do you know when you were a kid and you used to watch Doctor Who from behind the sofa because you were scared of the Daleks? It was like that. You cringe at some of the things you said and you cringe at some of the things other people did. There's a mixture of excitement and embarrassment.

 

Would you have done the coffee task differently if you had another chance?
I'd love to do it all again. I really wish I could have stayed on the guys' team. We spent a lot of time bonding as guys, we even had testosterone-fuelled war cries. I motivated the guys, they were absolutely jumping and ready for action and then I got switched. So Jadine walked into the group and all the guys are already fired up for her. I felt very deflated by that.

 

Do you think your management style conflicted with the girls?
When you saw me with the guys, I was animated, it was very macho. I had to tone it down for the girls – it's two very different management styles. But to be fair I couldn't argue with the girls, they did superbly on the second day, but unfortunately the first day had crippled us.

Do you believe you were stitched up by the girls in the boardroom?
Absolutely. I was stitched up long before that. Sophie had her own agenda – she mentioned so many times in the taxi that she was going to buy this, that and the other, but when it got to the boardroom she denied she was in charge of buying. Unfortunately Sir Alan doesn't see the show before we're in the boardroom.

 

Who do you think should have gone in your place, Sophie or Gerri?
I think Sophie should have gone. But perhaps I should have had a go at Gerri instead of Sophie. Sir Alan said it was all about location and she was absolutely responsible for that, so perhaps I could have made a bigger play for Gerri to leave. But I was so annoyed that everything I did had been undermined by Sophie. Unfortunately I was the loser in that battle.

 

Why do you think the guys voted for you to be the team leader?
I think possibly they wanted to hide in the background a little while longer. It was my own fault – I could have quite easily said I wasn't doing it but I would have rather been in a position where if I was in the boardroom it was because of the decisions I'd made.

Will you be watching the rest of the series?
I will be, I'll be watching with great interest. I was so glad to be on there, from 10,000 people down to the last 16. You'll never take that away from me.

 

Who do you think will win it?
I'd love to see Adam win it, he's from the same line of business as I am and I have a lot of sympathy for him. From the girls, I'm rooting for Katie and Ghazal.

 

Would you ever compete on a show like this again?
I would do it again at the drop of a hat. Get me back on there! Get me on the American Apprentice! I really wanted that job. But I've learnt from the experience and taken positives from it. No regrets; everything now goes forward.

 

Do you have a message for Sir Alan?
I would thank him for the opportunity. I've no bad feeling, he's not got to where he is today without making a lot more difficult decisions than he did yesterday. If he feels he has made a mistake he's got my number, he can give me a call. I'm sure there's a job somewhere in his companies for me. He just needs to pick up the phone.