Week 9 of the 2011 apprentice saw the candidates doing the annual sell British stuff to foreign types. This time was France and that left everyone with questions, not Least Susan. Susan seems bright but not very world wise which surely who ever the eventual winner is they will need to be. I don't see questions like do the French drive and do the French love their children are monumentally stupid.

I am fairly sure had they lost Susan would have gone but they won thanks in a large part for Helen knowing how to speak to La Redoute and who they were. Researching La Redoute was a task given to Melody and Leon, something they didn't do, even more surprising when it turned out on you're fired Leon used to work for them. Melody who didn't like the car seat back pack which eventually won the task and Tom wanted. Tom should have been stronger but had he forced it on his team and they lost it would have been because he didn't listen to his team.

Melody and Leon after getting the answer that the car seat was better than the lamp from the first few people changed tack and asked whether more Parisians used the Metro than driving. Unfortunately they asked only 4 people and asked them in a Metro station.

The Failure of this task was completely down to Melody and Leon not doing their job and doing proper research. Had they known who La Redoute was they may have sold some although to beat 214 thousand Euros.

Tom did make himself look a bit of a fool playing rock paper scissors in the car on the way to the meeting however was eventually saved in the boardroom by Leon generally doing nothing at all because he couldn't speak French. This was despite most of the people Melody was speaking to were speaking English.

So Leon was fired, and that leaves seen. Helen won again making it eight in a row and is firmly this seasons favourite. Next week its making biscuits and its 4 against 3. For one team losing now means there is no prospect of escaping the board room.