Apprentice blog

It’s back. Lord Sugar is on our screens again with a fresh team of 16 hopefuls, who this year are vying not for a job with ’Britain’s most belligerent boss’ but to become his business partner. Brave souls.

The first show saw the girls - team Venture, led by Melody Hossaini - pit their wits against the boys - team Logic, led by Edward Hunter.

The task? To spend £250 on fruit and veg and turn it into profit. Venture spent just £170 on the ingredients for fruit salads to sell to the workers and shoppers of Canary Wharf and vegetable pasta to sell from a van at London’s Euston Station. Logic opted for orange juice and tomato soup, which it marketed in and around Liverpool Street Station.

The result? The girls won and Edward was sent home.

In the second show the candidates had to design mobile phone apps. The girls went for an annoying sound app while the boys opted for comedy accents. Despite trouncing the girls when it came to presenting their app to the public, the boys lost out when it came to downloads. After some spectacular boardroom wranging from Jim, Logic’s Alex was sent home.

As ever we have an army of employment lawyers on hand to offer their insights on the issues thrown up in the show. In a departure from previous years, they shared their thoughts via Twitter as the programme unfolded. The best of their responses are included here. Join the debate on Twitter at #lawyerapprentice.

@ljanstis: What does the law say about having separate male and female teams? Work/Life/Law

@rjw_rachel: Imagine if a lawyer won and Lord Sugar had to invest in a law firm - would be priceless!

@lawyercatrin: Great point. They’d have to wait till October..

@rjw_rachel: Is the change of prize from a job to business investment an attempt to try and avoid discrimination claims?

@ljanstis: Would love to see the contracts they get the contestants to sign up to.

@Sids_lad: Newsflash: Dalai Lama seeks super injunction!

@rjw_rachel: So to not fit the mould as an accountant - you just dont bother to do any maths? Capability dismissal on the cards?

@AnnaYoshica: Short put forward by both Edward and female candidate tonight. Shortism, new protected ground.

@rjw_rachel: Apprentice blog.

@AGinsight: Advice on how to manage performance.

@AGinsight: Is poking fun at a colleague’s accent a form of discrimination? Was it racist?