Dave, you're fired

It's a delight to welcome back The Apprentice into my living room each week. Such a shame that David Cameron looky likey, Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, should be first man overboard. Still, I bet Dave would know you can't get lobster for £4.90 a throw.

Be careful what you wish for

The best reality show on telly, The Apprentice, returns tonight on prime-time BBC1.

The winner of the top slot can look forward to working alongside Siralan Sugar for one year for a not-to-be-sniffed-at retainer of £100k.

But, if the trend of the previous two series continues, one of the losers will wind up elected a London Tory councillor:

• Series 1: Matthew Palmer, fired in week 5;
• Series 2: Ben Stanberry, fired in week 1.

(Hat-tip: The Sun, improbably enough.)

Seems a harsh punishment.

But, then, it's pretty harsh on BBC2 as well, who have had yet another ratings banker poached by BBC1, with The Apprentice following in the footsteps of Have I Got News For You and Trinny & Susannah.

PS: of course, its ratings are likely to suffer a down-turn this week, owing to a scheduling clash with 18 Doughty Street. Andy Mayer, Christopher Ames and me are the rival attraction at 9pm on Iain Dale’s Blogger TV.