UPDATED: Apparently there's obviously a lack of interesting folk who want to be car salesmen. Yes, I know this batch of contestants were vying to become business partners with Mr. Penny 'Yous be speewfing' Apples, but they'll invariably end up selling cars for a while when that venture comes to a shuddering stall - much like this year's series. I'm a Celebrity hijacking the 9pm time slot for a spell obviously didn't help, but is anyone watching anymore? I'm not :-/
The Irish Daily Mirror reckons somebody said this: "The Apprentice won't be back next year. The level of contestants just isn't there. Basically, everyone in the country who was good enough to apply for the show already has. The contestants this year are real bottom of the barrell stuff - it's actually embarrassing to watch them. They aren't even so bad it's funny, they're just so bad it's painful. There would be absolutely no point in doing another series of next year. If this is the level we're at now, then there's no way they would be able to find enough suitable contestants to last over a 12-week series. It's a pity, especially beacuse it was a very successful format, but it's been wrung dry now. Ireland has a relatively small pool of talent, and when it comes to possible apprentices, the pool has dried up."
Was there ever even a pool? Wasn't it just more of a muddy puddle when things launched in 2008, annually filled with inarticulate, bumbling life forms? Doesn't it say something that one of the more memorable contestants is Breffney? Aren't such specimans the reason why we watched in the first place?!
This alleged insider is still waffling by the way: "It would basically take a miracle to save the show now. It's just not getting the same attention, the same column inches, people aren't talking about it in the same way. It had a good run, but we're flogging a dead horse now. A show like this is built on the contestants, and if they aren't top quality then there's just no point going on *dramatically swoons*. It's bad news for TV3, the Apprentice was always a feather in its cap and a show they really relied on to pull in the viewers, but there's no other choice. It will quietly not get recommissioned next year."
Personally, this year's offering started to wane when anyone who looked like anyone got kicked out (althoughJason Patric and Stewie Griffin are still in the running). Then it totally dwindled down the drain of dullness once Danny DeVito threw in the towel.
Here's to you, Eoin *doffs cap* "CCCCYYYEEEAAAAAAAAARRGGGGHHHH!"
UPDATE: TV3 have since released a statement regarding the future of The Apprentice...