Trumped by 'The Donald'

PROPERTY magnate Donald Trump threw me completely last week when he fired Allie Jablon and Roxanne Wilson from The Apprentice, Season 5 .

PROPERTY magnate Donald Trump threw me completely last week when he fired Allie Jablon and Roxanne Wilson from The Apprentice, Season 5 .

Having followed the largest televised job interview from the very beginning, I have to say that this season, more than any other, has kept me glued to my seat.

The introduction of Trump's children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Junior - whom he describes as his best apprentice - as official board members on the show portrays a different, almost warm side to Trump.

In one episode, he talks about rumours that his hair is fake and even has one of the contestants touch it to prove that it is not. It was hilarious, especially when one of the girls said the contestant who had the honour of touching Trump's hair should have pulled the back section too.

Of the 18 contestants, six have been sent home in pairs. In week two, it was Stacy Schneider and Jose "Pepi" Diaz. In week 10, it was Tarek Saab and Charmaine Hunt. Last week, Jablon and Wilson were kicked to the kerb.

Sean Yazbeck and Lee Bienstock are possibly the least-expected finalists of the bunch.

Yazbeck proved a problem when his competitors said he appeared to be using his Judaism as a way to get out of working with the team. The complaint was made after he took two days off the team's scheduled task to observe a Jewish holiday.

Bienstock was just plain irritating and his crush on Tammy Trenta was extreme.

My money was on Wilson, who works as an appellate attorney.

As a rational South African, I looked at Trump's pattern since the inception of the show in 2004 and realised that he had employed a black male (Randal Pinkett in season four), a white male (Bill Rancic in the very first season) and a white female (Kendra Todd in season three). I thought the obvious route would be to hire a black female next. Besides the race factor, Wilson was extremely good at leading and being led.

Although I know which of the two irritating men will be the latest addition to the Trump empire, I know that giving you a clue will ruin the last two episodes for you.

Tonight, the candidates are challenged to co-ordinate two high-profile charity events.

Bienstock works with three of the former contestants, one of them Wilson, to organise a celebrity hockey event.

Yazbeck picks a team of former contestants, including Saab. Their task is to stage an Atlantic City rock concert featuring the Barenaked Ladies.

The results are shocking, but what is fascinating is that contestants other than the winner received offers from Trump a few months later.

More good news is that we can finally bid farewell to George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher as official board members. Watching them agree to everything Trump has to say has become tiresome.

Catch 'The Apprentice' on SABC3 at 7.30pm.