The Apprentice week 6: Five biggest moments from BBC show's most toe-curling episode in years

Tonight’s episode of The Apprentice could well be the BBC series’s most embarrassing in recent memory, as the candidates attempted to create their own budget airline.

The 16th series is past the halfway mark, and tensions tonight were higher than ever, as this year’s most divisive personality eliminated from the process (read our interview with him here).

Below are the episode’s five biggest talking points.

Jetpop

Camilla – a favourite of every fired candidate thus far – has her first real stumble this week after rejecting project manager Kurran’s choice of brand name and using her own: Jetpop. The look on Claude’s face says it all as Camilla and Jackie attempt to convince their fellow team members that the fiery logo they opt for is “an explosion of fun” and thus suitable for an airline. The chief executive of London City Airport isn’t convinced. “Aren’t people going to be concerned that their jet might pop?” he asks, during their pitch, to laughs from the audience.

Jasmine really doesn’t find Kayode funny

In this week’s instalment, Kayode comes across one person who isn’t susceptible to his charm: Jasmine. Agreeing to act in the airline’s advert, Kayode soon sparks Jasmine’s wrath thanks to his “cringey and corny” jokes. “This isn’t a comedy,” she tells the public speaker who demands their project manager Sabrina leaves his quips in the final cut (she does). Later on, Jasmine finds an ally in Lord Sugar. “You didn’t want the advert to be funny. Well, congratulations because it wasn’t.”

Embarrassing pitches

From Jackie’s air hostess performance to the “Highway to Hell” debate (is the AC/DC classic really suitable for an airline advert?), this week sees perhaps two of the most awkward pitches in Apprentice history. Kayode, in fairness, leads admirably (public speaking’s his job, after all), but the reactions from some of the assembled airline executives speak volumes. It’s Jackie who receives the biggest facepalm when sampling the rather skimpy hostess outfit she co-designed. “It’s adjustable and very easy to wipe down,” she says, with the audience – notably Claude – in embarrassed hysterics.

Kurran fired

After Lord Sugar demanded last week that Kurran puts himself forward to be project manager, the aspiring actor obliges, leading team Collaborative with mixed results. Ultimately, Lord Sugar deems his team’s airline the weakest, which means a boardroom showdown with Khadija and Camilla. Things get heated quickly, and it seems like Kurran’s going to escape elimination yet again as he makes one final plea. But it’s too little, too late. “I wish you a lot of luck,” Lord Sugar tells him, before sending this year’s “villain” nosediving out of the competition.

Khadija gets a second chance

“You’re very argumentative, aren’t you?” Lord Sugar states as Khadija raises her voice for about the 589th time in one episode. The cleaning company owner disagrees; she claims it’s “passion”. While the tycoon contemplates who to throw out of the competition, it becomes clear that he wants to give her a rare second chance – but not without a warning: “I can’t work with someone who is disruptive,” he tells the teary candidate. But has she got the point? The preview for next week, teasing a head-to-head with Jackie suggests maybe not.

The Apprentice continues ever Wednesday on BBC One