Ghazal, You're Fired!

Who should have been fired instead of you?
Naomi should have gone. I don't think she does much. And even though there aren't a lot of Katie fans out there and she does have a vindictive side – which I didn't see until I watched the episodes back – she's still the most competent female there. All Naomi does is criticise and moan; she doesn't put forward any suggestions. Naomi's been lucky – Sir Alan hasn't had a chance to really go at her because she hasn't been in the boardroom much. That's the only reason she's still there.

 

What do you regret about the way you led the trainer task?
In hindsight I should have given Naomi and Katie more ownership and more responsibility on the creation of the brand. I would have said ‘You have to come up with the ideas, you're the experts. Present all the ideas to me and I'll make the final decision on it.' But I left it open to discussion I and the creative juices just didn't flow.

 

Do you think Katie was trying to sabotage you by convincing you to change strategies midway through the task?
Looking back at it, it does look as though I've been stitched up and that it was all part of Katie's game. At the time I did not think Katie was capable of that but since I've come out, a lot of people have suggested that to me.

Were you surprised by the amount of backstabbing going on?
I am absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of backbiting. For example, Kristina revealed in the boardroom that Katie and Paul were having a romance, yet she came in the house and said that Sir Alan already knew about it. She totally lied. I didn't realise all the things Katie was saying about people behind their backs; that was absolutely shocking. She was wishing death upon people!

 

Do you think Katie would make a good boss if Sir Alan hired her?
Putting the vindictive comments aside, when she was the project manager she was a very supportive boss and she had a lot of energy. So if it wasn't for me seeing all the vindictive things she said against people, I would very much still be a fan of hers.

 

Do you think you're cut out for the cutthroat world of big business?
Yes. I absolutely want to be part of big business but I don't think business has to be like The Apprentice. Every business person you come across is not a Sir Alan. There are a lot of business people out there who are actually very positive. Take Richard Branson for example – his demeanor is completely different from Sir Alan's. I could learn more from someone like Richard Branson than I could from someone who was as abrasive as Sir Alan.

Katie seems to really enjoy the boardroom confrontations – is she nervous behind her exterior, or does she actually love it?
I think she gets a buzz off the adrenalin. She was very flirtatious with Sir Alan in the boardroom – she had that whole puppy-eyed look. At that point, she must've believed 100% that whatever happened, she wasn't going to be fired. I think Katie is in Sir Alan's good books and hence she gets away with all this.

 

Who do you tip to win the series and be hired by Sir Alan?
I would love to see Tre win it. I'm a great fan of his; I think he's got a lot to offer. As for the girls, I don't have a favourite anymore!

 

Sir Alan suggested the you were too young and should come back in four years – will you consider that?
Absolutely not. Four years from now £100,000 will be nothing. In four years time, the kind of experience I can get from The Apprentice would be useless to me. This is the right time for me. I've been offered a fantastic job with a global IT firm so I'm going to work there for the next couple of years, after which time I intend to set up my own business and I will still be a millionaire by the time I'm 30.

 

What would you say to Sir Alan if you saw him now?
My message to Sir Alan is that it's a shame you completely changed your view of me overnight. Doing the show was just a bonus and whether you see it or not and whether you like it or not, I'll still go on to achieve my goals.