Fiona attacks The Apprentice 'playground politics'

Fiona attacks The Apprentice 'playground politics'
Fiona attacks The Apprentice 'playground politics' (Image credit: PA Wire/PA Photos)

Fiona Phillips has said she couldn't wait for her time on Comic Relief's The Apprentice to be over, and didn't even stay in to watch it when it screened. The former GMTV host told BBC Radio 5Live: "It wasn't comic - and it was relief when it was over." She also accused some of the winning girls team of freezing her out and indulging in 'playground politics'. Fiona said she was so miserable on the team with Carol Vorderman, Ruby Wax, EastEnders' Patsy Palmer and bra boss Michelle Mone that she clammed up and then didn't even watch the show. The 48-year-old presenter said: "I was very honoured to be asked. But my gut did tell me I shouldn't have gone - and my gut was right." She watched rows between Michelle and Patsy, which resulted in Patsy storming out. Fiona added: "It was playground politics, it wasn't nice. I did think, 'I don't want to be a part of all this', so I didn't really say that much. It all got a bit unseemly. "There were three people who decided it was their gig, really. Days were rearranged so that Patsy and I weren't doing very much at all. We sat there like a pair of Mrs Overalls." Get exclusive access to your favourite stars. Subscribe to TV Times magazine

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.