Kieran McCartney Exclusive Interview with BestBettingSites.co.uk

Tell us about your win or walk ultimatum

A lot of people think that moment, because it’s never been done in the 20 years The Apprentice has been on, was pre-planned. In 20 years of the show, no candidate has given Lord Sugar an ultimatum like that.

I’d love to sit here and say it was all part of a bigger plan, but it was a total impulse. I thought I was a goner and was going home, it was a last resort, and I just came out with it.

That’s me though. I had to make that deal with Lord Sugar to survive. I put my neck on the line.

I’m glad I did it, no regrets. Like I said, it’s never been done and it definitely left a mark on the series. That’s what it’s all about as far as I’m concerned. It was a one-off, never been done. That’s a bit of me.

Will I win, or will I walk?

What is Lord Sugar really like off the cameras?

You don’t really get to see him off camera. He’s normally got his little bodyguard with him. But he’s quite a nice guy. He’s got a lot of banter. I quite enjoy speaking to him, firing a few jokes back at him, which I don’t think he gets very often. I think he quite likes me.

Have you had any contact with him since the filming wrapped?

No, I haven’t. Sadly. He doesn’t like me that much, does he? I mean, I’ve got a picture of him on, I’ve got a tattoo of him on my leg now, so.

I got the tattoo to celebrate the moment in my life, being on the show. I posted it on Instagram and tagged them in it, and they haven’t responded yet. They’re either getting their legal letter drawn up or they’re just going to leave it.

Are you happy with how you were portrayed on the show?

I think that I’ve had a fair bit of airtime from the first episode. I wasn’t pleased with how I was portrayed in the first one, Hong Kong. I think they edited that to make me come across as a bit stupid and arrogant, which isn’t me at all.

I was bruised by that. It was a cruel edit, but you step back and look at it and see the show as a whole and it was part of developing a character arch for me.

I was a bit disheartened after that. It took me a couple of tasks to come back to who I am.

I could go and do four amazing deals, but one bad one, they’ll only show the bad one.

That’s kind of how it works, so they make you look stupid when you’re not.

What was your biggest surprise filming the show?

The rules! I thought you’d have a lot more freedom. It’s very strict, you can’t go to the toilet without a producer holding your hand!

We go all the way to Hong Kong, this amazing city, and you can’t have fun. You can’t go out and enjoy yourself. It was annoying to travel halfway around the world just to be locked in a hotel room.

On the boardroom showdowns

Those boardroom showdowns are as real as it gets. Everything is done in one take – they film everything once and once only. It’s all real and raw.

What’s Lord Sugar like delivering those lines in the boardroom?

Lord Sugar is hilarious. He’s a funny guy. He cracks me up with his one-liners and he delivers them quick fire like a machine gun.

There is nothing clunky about the delivery of those lines. He’s obviously done it for years, so he knows what he’s doing and how to handle himself in the boardroom. He knows what is going to look and sound good in an edit.

I actually think he’s mellowed, well, compared to other series of The Apprentice. I loved watching the show and I think he’s definitely softened up a bit. He seems less harsh than he used to be, maybe that’s his old age (laughs)!

You can write that one down!

Tell us about the rules and the house rules

No drinking. That’s the biggest rule. There were quite a few shenanigans in previous series, so the producers clamped down on that. That’s why you don’t get any special rewards if you win your task like in previous seasons – the producers were very worried about that.

After you’ve been filming for three days, in a really intense environment, when the tasks finish and boardroom showdown wraps, it would have been nice to come home and have a beer with the guys in the garden.

I can understand why they knocked the drinking on the head. From what I’ve heard on the grapevine, it sounded like everyone was getting intimate in previous series. It was pretty boring in the house – I should have been in there a few years ago by the sounds of it!

You can’t swear, although I’m not sure lord Sugar follows that rule himself (laughs). That can be difficult when things get heated in the boardroom and tempers flare – you must remember that there is a lot on the line and in those moments, the candidates are fighting for survival.

Was there a headmaster type producer who stayed in the house to make sure the rules were followed?

Oh yeah. Honestly, you couldn’t do anything in the house or spend any time in there without being watched by a producer. It was a bit like being back at school – you had a head of the house and a full house team. All-in-all there were always four producers in the house with us at all times.

You couldn’t boil an egg without being watched, you know what I mean? If there was less, it could have been a bit naughtier.

Heroes and villains on the show

My villain would have to be Andrea. Me and her just didn’t get along at all, she’s so negative. She’s so negative and I’m so positive and bouncy. She’s like the opposite of that, and opposites sadly do not attract.

She’s just a very negative person. And I’m quite a positive person. And in that environment, negativity really, really does stand out.

People pulled her up for being negative in the boardroom, and I think that’s what Lord Sugar said that when he fired her.

I don’t think that Priyesh deserves to be left in the show. I think he’s been really lucky to have been on a lot of the winning teams without really offering much. I can’t think of one moment where he’s really contributed or done that much.

My heroes would have to be Pascha and Krishma. I don’t think we’ve seen enough of Pascha in the show – I don’t think she’s been given enough airtime. She’s definitely underestimated. She’s a very clever and intelligent girl for 21. She deserves more of a shout out, because she’s already accomplished a lot. She’ll go as far as she wants on whatever path she chooses.

If I had to pick a winner, or the candidate that deserves it the most, then it has to be Krishma. She’s my girl. She’s the person I bonded with the most during the process, and we’re best mates outside of the show, so Krish for the win.

I actually think that she’s been the best candidate since day one too.

How long do you spend in the loser’s café?

I reckon you’re in there for an hour. It’s horrible in there. Not the best coffee I’ve ever had, to be honest, in that Bridge Cafe. It’s instant coffee. At least make me a little flat white or something.

With a lot of reality shows, a lot of the times the producers are accused of not necessarily looking after the people that have been on them. Do you feel like you have been supported since the show’s come on air?

Yeah. I was massively supported. I felt supported by everyone on the show. And as well by the press team, they’ve always warned me about stories that are coming out.

The producers provide a therapist to talk to as and when you feel like you need to. I haven’t felt like I needed to.

Honestly, I don’t think they could do more for you. Maybe they were a bit too strict when it came to some of the rules of the show and the house, but they definitely look out for all the candidates. If there was ever a problem, the door is always open.

I’ve told my side of the story in terms of the stories that have come out and I’ve given my opinions across. I’m honest about it. I don’t lie. And I’ll forever be honest about everything that I do going forward.