THE BBC has hit back after they were swamped with complaints following a “cruel and unnecessary” fishing challenge on The Apprentice.
Last Thursday’s instalment of Lord Alan Sugar’s show saw the teams sent off to Cornwall to go fishing – but the episode wasn’t a catch amongst viewers.
During the episode, Francesca Kennedy Wallbank was seen berating fellow hopeful and teammate Aaron Willis for failing to catch any pollock.
Incredibly, just moments later, the businesswoman then successfully caught a huge hall – despite claiming to be a vegan.
After the episode aired, the broadcaster received hundreds of complaints from disgruntled viewers who deemed the task ‘inappropriate”.
In a statement, the BBC said: “Each week the candidates are given a business-themed task which is designed to test them on important business skills.
“For this task, Lord Sugar explained that in the past year British shoppers spent billions of pounds on seafood and the candidates were asked to undertake a task within that sector.
“The pollock and crab sourced was not caught for entertainment purposes and it was all caught and sold for consumption and there was no fish food wastage from this task.
“The programme-makers worked closely with official fishing governing bodies and fishing industry experts and associations throughout this challenge.
“They ensured that the seafood caught, and the way in which it was caught, was sustainable and that it was stored and transported within fishing regulations.”
The task didn’t go down too well in the boardroom as Lord Sugar gave a scathing review.
Infinity’s project manager Alex Short – who went on to be fired – failed to offer up his team’s catch of the day, which meant losing out on much-needed profits.
As the trio were called back in to face the music, the Amstrad businessman said: “This is, without a doubt, the worst failure I have ever experienced in this boardroom.
“I cannot get my head around the fact I sent you round to get a catch of the day and you don’t sell it.”
The Apprentice continues on Thursday at 9pm on BBC One, followed by You’re Fired on BBC Two.
