Solomon Akhtar: 'I went on The Apprentice when I was meant to go on Made In Chelsea'

The Apprentice candidate Solomon Akhtar admitted he may have tried the wrong reality TV show, and is now considering Made In Chelsea, after he was fired by Lord Sugar in the interview round.

The 22-year-old technology entrepreneur - the youngest candidate to ever compete in the BBC show - was one of three fired in the semi-finals, along with Roisin Hogan and Daniel Lassman.

Solomon got the boot after submitting a joke of a business plan that was just eight pages long and padded out with pictures. But he shrugged off the failure as he branded Lord Sugar boring and confessed his main aim in life was to have fun.

He said: "I think I was too ambitious for Lord Sugar and too outgoing. He's not a fun person. He's very boring, he wears a suit, he's very money orientated. He just doesn't get life. I think that's probably why I got shouted out of the room because I actually have a personality and I'm not boring."

Solomon also admitted to flirting with Lord Sugar's advisers Karren Brady and Caudine Collins to try and get ahead.

He said: "I wanted to go on there and show that I'm a normal boy, I don't think I'm even a man yet.

"I am fun, I can flirt with girls, I can flirt with Karren, I can flirt with Claudine, and I can have fun. I don't need people telling me what to do all the time and all this business bull****."

And the technology whizkid - who impressed on the show by having set up his own internet start-up company - admitted he would like to appear on E4 reality show Made In Chelsea.

Solomon said: "I know a lot of the Made In Chelsea cast, I went to uni with Georgie Toffolo who is now on the show, I know Sam [Thompson], I go on a lot of nights out in Chelsea. There's obviously a connection there.

"A lot of people have said I jumped off the wrong bus. I went on The Apprentice when I was meant to go on Made In Chelsea. I do hang out with a lot of the cast, we're really good friends, so I guess we'll see what happens there."

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Essex boy Daniel insisted he had not gone on the show to seek fame, but hinted he would consider reality TV if the right offer came his way.

The pub quiz company director claimed: "I really believe there were people on there for the complete wrong reasons.

"I'll give you one example - I put on two stone in weight in there and I didn't care. I was there just to try and get through every day and the next task, and yeah, it did mean comfort eating and making myself feel a bit better.

"But some people - I was waking up at three o'clock in the morning and they were doing 35 sit ups before they left the house. And to me that means they're not there for a serious investment."

But he added: "It's not something you go onto a show like this for. I think it's highly documented that I turned down an offer from TOWIE when I was younger. If I'd wanted to go down that root I could have.

"If it just so happens that a particular show puts up a lot of money for me to go on, we'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Former accountant Roisin, 32, had looked a strong contender for The Apprentice finals until she revealed her business plan to be a low carbohydrate ready meal, based around noodles made from vegetable fibre. Lord Sugar and his advisers were not keen on the idea, but Roisin insisted she did not regret giving up her well-paid job as an accountant.

She said: "I was working in a big global accounting firm and I loved it. But I actually gave up smoking for the new year and that totally change the direction of my life and my career. I became really interested in food and health and nutrition, and that's where I came up with the idea for my product. It's called Nudels by Roisin.

"And I've taken Lord Sugar's advice on board, and his advisers' advice on board and I've scaled back my ambition somewhat. And I've partnered with a industry expert and we are going to bring the product to market hopefully in early 2015."

Australian digital marketing salesman Mark Wright and Bianca Miller, who wants to launch a range of tights for all skin colours, will now battle it out in the final, due to screen on BBC One on Sunday, December 21.

 

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.