Fired Apprentice lashes out at TV editors and team
HITTING BACK: Guys are like kids, says Derek (top left)
Tuesday September 30 2008
THE latest evictee from TV3's The Apprentice said this morning that he had been shafted by the editors and by his teammates.
Kickboxer Derek Ramsey from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal was in Bill Cullen's firing line last night after "cross contaminating" the launch of an Electronic Arts computer game with Adidas branding.
FIRED
Last night's show saw contestants being subjected to unexpected 5.30am wake-up calls as once again the girls were pitted against the boys.
Their challenge was to create and host a launch party for two new computer games -- Spore and Facebreaker.
But EA Sports representatives were "livid" about Adidas branding being used by the boys at their launch event.
And, as a result, Bill told Derek: "In this position, where Electronic Arts are sponsoring the whole event, you put the prime sign out there as Adidas so, Derek, you're fired."
But today, the sales manager claimed that the show's editors and his fellow workers on Team Dynamo let him be a fall guy for their mistakes.
"No I don't think it was fair that I took the blame," he said, adding: "It was a team option what to use. We stood shoulder to shoulder and chose to put the signs there to create a boxing ring."
And while he admitted that there was "a cross contamination of brands", he said that the editors over-emphasised the impact of the Adidas signs at the EA launch.
"There was two days of footage there but you only see 50 minutes and a lot happened outside that.
"What you see -- a lot happens outside that," he reiterated.
And he took a swipe at his beleaguered male competitors, who have now lost the first two tasks.
Asked why the girls seem to work better as a team, Derek said it was because the boys are already eyeing the glory.
"It reminds me of schoolkids, all of them running after ball," he said. "We did make a crucial mistake but no one else realised the mistake or said it either. We all agreed they [the signs] looked good."
VICIOUS
And the sales manager added that the show is bound to get even "more vicious" in the coming weeks.
But show frontman Bill Cullen has no regrets about his decision and hit back, saying: "I can't understand anyone saying it was a team decision. Derek was in charge.
"How anyone in marketing could say that is beyond me," said Bill.
The Renault tycoon promised this morning that "the gloves will come off" in future episodes. Next Tuesday's show will see the remaining 12 contestants divided into new teams.
- Kevin Doyle
