Hired or fired? We pick Ben, say rivals

The Apprentice dropouts would like to see Thomas Ben (left) get Terry Serepisos's nod over David Wyatt. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Two contenders remain in millionaire property developer Terry Seripisos's search for an apprentice.

But in the eyes of other contestants, one has already earned that spot.

Nearly every past competitor in The Apprentice reality show predicted David Wyatt would be the one hearing Serepisos's chilling last words, "You're fired".

Of the 12 eliminated already, most told the Herald Otara-born Thomas Ben, 34, had the business sense to claim the prize of a $100,000 job with Serepisos, a new BMW 3-series car and a luxury apartment in Wellington.

Chris Whiteside said he would "eat his hat" if Ben did not win.

"The first day on the show I was like, 'That guy's gonna win'. I thought there was probably no point even trying."

Nicky Clarke said Ben had barely faltered in 12 weeks on the show. His honesty and integrity were refreshing in a hard-edged, competitive business world.

"For the state of business in New Zealand, I'd like it to be him. With Tom, what you see is what you get," she said.

Competitors praised 27-year-old Wyatt's gift of the gab, which allowed him to sell his product and talk himself out of scrutiny in the boardroom.

But they also felt he was too emotional and failed to see the big picture when working on tasks.

The eliminated contestants agreed Ben's one pitfall was his quietness - he failed to point out weak members in his team and did not go on the attack in Serepisos's boardroom.

Karen Reid, fired after 11 episodes, also felt Ben's family life might influence Serepisos.

"How do you fit a family with five kids into a two-bedroom apartment? Or will he have to uproot and live away from his family? Terry has to take that into account when choosing an apprentice."

Two versions of the final have been filmed - one with Wyatt as the winner and one with Ben.

Serepisos will not decide which one to air until Tuesday.

TV One and TV2 head Jeff Latch said it was too early to say if TVNZ was committing to a second series of The Apprentice.

Mr Seripisos's business ventures are under a cloud.

The property developer and Wellington Phoenix soccer team owner owes nearly $2 million to subcontractors and to the Wellington City Council in rates.

NICE GUYS FINISH ... WHERE? THE OPPONENTS' RATING

CHRIS WHITESIDE

28, accountant/adviser, evicted episode 4

On Thomas Ben: "In every task he is rational, composed, good at solving problems, and builds rapport with everyone he deals with. I'll eat my hat if he doesn't win."

NICKY CLARKE

28, PR specialist, evicted week 9

On Thomas Ben: "For the state of business in New Zealand, I'd like it to be him."

On David Wyatt: "He's the only person I had tussles with.

He'd get focused in a task to the point he'd only look at the part he was completing, and sometimes couldn't see the big picture."

KAREN REID

33, self-employed, evicted episode 11

On Thomas Ben: "He's a lovely, dependable, reliable man who has a warmth about him. But I'm wondering - maybe he's too nice?"

On David Wyatt: "I think he wants it more than Tom. He's a good salesman and a fantastic communicator. He has a fire within - a real asset to Mr Serepisos."

LINDA SLADE

21, business student, evicted episode 10

On Thomas Ben: " Tom proves you can be good at business while being honest and a nice guy."

On David Wyatt: "People say he's a talker, which can sound mean.

But it's so important in business - he can talk in public, can sell, and talk his way out of things in the boardroom."