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Solomon Akhtar, a former pupil of Skinners School in St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, reaches interview stage in BBC One's The Apprentice

Former Kent schoolboy Solomon Akhtar was the first to be fired in tonight's episode of The Apprentice.

The 23-year-old, who attended the Skinners' School in Tunbridge Wells, was picked apart in a series of interviews with four of Lord Sugar's most trusted advisors.

He was seeking £250,000 of investment to create a logistics company for start-up student businesses but his proposal, which was eight pages long and filled with pictures, was branded a disgrace by Claude Littner, former global trouble shooter to Lord Sugar.

Solomon facing a grueling interview. Credit: BBC/Boundless
Solomon facing a grueling interview. Credit: BBC/Boundless


Prior to the interview Sol said he was looking forward to seeing the "old boy" only to find himself thrown out of the room.

Mr Littner said: "In ten years I have done this I have never seen something that's put together [like this].

"Two bloody pictures on a page, what do you think you are here for?

"There's nothing to argue, you've given me pictures of sail boats. You've given me pictures of sail boats, what am I going to work on? What is that? What is that?"

Claude Littner. Credit: BBC/Boundless
Claude Littner. Credit: BBC/Boundless

After being dismissed Sol could not find his way out of the empty room, heading towards the window before being directed to the door.

He told the other five competitors: "I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible because he was so angry.

"I now realise my error."

At the beginning of the episode a phone call prompted candidates that they had 24 hours to brush up on their business plans before being interviewed by four of Lord Sugar's most trusted advisors.

Sol pitched himself as an ideas man than that keeps the knitty gritty in his head.

He wanted to create a company that packages, ships and stores products for start up companies created by students.

Left to right: Roisin Hogan, Solomon Akhtar, Mark Wright, Bianca Miller and Daniel Lassman. Credit: BBC/Boundless
Left to right: Roisin Hogan, Solomon Akhtar, Mark Wright, Bianca Miller and Daniel Lassman. Credit: BBC/Boundless

His CV was highly praised but his business plan came up short.

While being interviewed by publisher Mike Suiter he was challenged to explain some of his other business ideas but failed to impress.

He also struggled against Claudia Collins, the managing director of a media company.

She was unimpressed by an idea he had to create a bikini for men, called a willykini, and found him immature before suggesting he came across as an excited puppy.

Once the interviews were complete he became the first of three candidates to be fired by Lord Sugar.

Left to right: Roisin Hogan, Solomon Akhtar, Mark Wright, Bianca Miller and Daniel Lassman. Credit: BBC/Boundless
Left to right: Roisin Hogan, Solomon Akhtar, Mark Wright, Bianca Miller and Daniel Lassman. Credit: BBC/Boundless

The businessman's parting words to Sol were: "You are a very intelligent young man but when I appraise your business plan and think about us working together I am struggling.

"Claude thinks you will go somewhere some day, but not now."

Roisin Hogan, who wanted to create a low carb ready meal was the next to go, followed by Daniel Lassman - who wanted to set up an online events management company.

That leaves Mark Wright and Bianca Miller to contest the final on Sunday.

Mr Wright wants to create a digital marketing company while Ms Miller wants to create a hoisery company that makes skin coloured tights.

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