Duck and cover

Perhaps, having watched the first series of The Apprentice last year, I've become somewhat immune to the format. Last time around I remember watching the first episode and instantly coming to the conclusion that the producers had deliberately set out to find 14 of the most ghastly people in the country to present before us. This years contestants don't seem quite so immediately objectionable (aside from Syed, who is clearly being edited as the villain of the piece), although I can't say I'd look forward to spending much time in their company, particularly Jo, the over-excitable woman with the curly blonde hair, who seemed to spend most of the programme bouncing from one emotional extreme to another.

Still, one of the great successes of the last series was that by the end of it, you actually found yourself rooting for the remaining characters. Saira for example, who will be forever remember as "the gobby one" and her determination in the face of adversity, or James, who was just so gosh-darned nice, one of those immensely likeable chaps who was probably picked first for all the sports at school, but never made you feel bad about it. Of course, there was also the detestable Paul (who my family generally agreed was a thoroughly misogynistic cad).

I'm sure they individual characteristics of this year's lot will become more obvious once the numbers have been whittled down a bit. The camaraderie amongst the boys team evaporated as soon they'd realised they'd lost the task, and their griping over the tactics used by the girls team was thoroughly disingenuous - it was clear enough that their unspoken regret was that they hadn't thought of it themselves. They wasted little time turning on each other once summoned into the board room and the signs are that there will be a bloodbath before too long. I'm rather looking forward to it.