The Apprentice

Week 2 The boardroom debacle in week two left many surprised - but no-one was more shocked by the outcome than Shazia Wahab, who became the show's second evictee.

The 35 year-old self employed business woman tells her side of the tale...

Hey, Shazia! Did you enjoy your experience on The Apprentice?
It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I did it. I felt so strongly about becoming Sir Alan's Apprentice, that after making an unsuccessful application to the programme once, I re-applied for 2008. I don't believe in quitting. I enjoyed the experience, but it's a shame I didn't have a chance to utilise all of my skills.

What was your favourite task?
I preferred the laundry task even though I got fired at it. Anything is better than being in a cold marketplace selling wet fish!

What did you learn from the experience?
I learned that business doesn't have to be done like that. There was backstabbing and deceitfulness and manipulation, you couldn't behave like that in the workplace. I'll steer well clear of that behaviour if I want to get a job!

And which of your skills will they miss most?
I don't think they had enough time to become aware of my skills. I would’ve made a great project manager.

Where did your team go wrong in the laundry task?
We didn't have a good project manager in Jenny. We didn't have a brainstorming session, and we weren't able to think out of our box. When I put my hand up and said we should secure the iron, it was very detrimental to me... even though it was a fantastic idea!

Do you think Jenny should take all the blame?
As overall project manager, yes. But Helene should have set the prices properly for the hotel pitch, since her career is as a global pricing leader. Losing that pitch cost us the task. And although it was always clear Lucinda would be made a scapegoat through no fault of her own, it was actually Claire who got the shirts mixed up in the end.

What are Jenny's tactics?
I think Jenny believes Sir Alan likes ruthless people; people who will do whatever it takes to win. Now that she has been allowed to behave in that fashion, she will feel she can get away with anything.

Could you work with Jenny in real life?
I wouldn't like to work with her at all. If this was real life, she would not have had the final word, and she would have known not to scream at me. It's not OK. That behaviour is not acceptable. You do not treat people like that.

So you believe 100% that you didn't deserve to be fired?
Absolutely. The reason I was shafted was because of the lost shirts. But I left clear, written instructions about what stage everything was at. That confusion was down to Claire, who took over the responsibility, and to Jenny, who didn't leave enough time to pack everything up at the end of the night.

Who, now, has the best chance to win The Apprentice?
I think Raef is a a good project manager, I would have like to been in his team, they had a good team spirit. From the girls, Lindi, Lucinda and Sara were the only ones who did not have an agenda. They were not underhand.

You felt Sir Alan fired you because you were 'arty'...
Although I have a marketing background, and experience in an international law firm, I wrote 'mosaic artist' on my application form. I think Sir Alan saw that and decided that I must be a stereotype; someone arty, without business acumen. I believe he was worried I wouldn't cope with his hard business world.

After your dismissal, you took a taxi ride home. How were you feeling?
I was completely and utterly shocked. I was confused as to why I'd been selected. I suppose, that although I felt I'd been shafted, it had to be someone. They're just getting rid of the best candidates first so there is less competition.

And now The Apprentice is over for you. What are your future plans?
I had my business, Mirror Emporium, before I started on The Apprentice, so I'm back working hard on that. My long term strategy is to take my business to a new level.

Back to News