Apprentice star Mike Soutar has told fans to expect surprises for the final four candidates as they come under the spotlight on Thursday night.
Mike will appear on Thursday’s show to grill the candidates battling it out for a £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar.
Born in Dundee and educated in Glenrothes, Mike, started out his career in Dundee as a journalist with DC Thomson.
He appeared on last week’s episode as one of Lord Sugar’s aides.
He was filling in for regular aide Tim Campbell, who was forced to self-isolate due to Covid, following the candidates around and reporting back on their progress.
But Mike will return this week to put the final candidates under the spotlight, a role he has taken on the BBC show since 2011.
Speaking ahead of the show on Thursday, Mike told The Courier fans should expect some surprises as the candidate’s skills and business plans are put to the test.
“It’s going to be a very entertaining programme,” he said.
“There are going to be lots of surprises for the candidates, and several points where they will be left speechless.
“Up until now, the process means people need to stand out as individuals but also be good at working in a team.”
‘Nowhere to hide’ from Lord Sugar’s grillers
He added: “It’s the very first time in the process they are completely on their own and have to take accountability for their business ideas and their CV.
“There is going to be absolutely no hiding place,” Mike, the former CEO of the London Evening Standard, says.
The business guru said he does a lot of preparation before going into the interview, looking at the candidates and researching their background.
In a previous series, this research was key in catching a candidate out after she claimed her business delivered orders within days.
Seeing @MikeSoutar has this memory rushing back 🙈 #TheApprentice pic.twitter.com/JR2JCV4rxd
— pamela laird (@Pamela_Laird) March 10, 2022
Mike revealed he had actually purchased something from her firm and had been waiting 11 days.
His tough approach is popular for fans of the BBC series, but most say they are glad it’s not them coming under his expert microscope.
“Every year there are different business plans from industry sectors I don’t have experience in,” Mike said.
“I spend time researching those industries, trying to figure out whether the candidates have a firm grasp of the data points and trends within their industries.”
But the journalist turned publisher also puts the skills he learned as a reporter to use, investigating the candidates and their backgrounds.
He added: “I spend a lot of time digging into them as individuals, double-checking what they’ve said on their CV and tracing them back.
“We live in a digital world, and everybody leaves a digital footprint. You can find out an awful lot about people researching them online.”
Mike Soutar’s interview advice
Mike is no stranger to putting people on the spot.
After over 40 interviews for The Apprentice and hundreds as a business owner and journalist, Mike said the common mistake he sees people making is exaggerating their skills or expertise.
“Exaggeration is the most common mistake people make,” he said.
“You will ask them a question and they may exaggerate their understanding, and that’s when they will come undone.
“I would much rather people were really honest because it’s not a trick question.
“You can always tell when someone is exaggerating, and the interviewer can always get a sense of it.”
The Apprentice airs on Thursday March 17 at 9pm on BBC One.
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