The final six candidates
Chris Bates
The 23-year-old investment banker from Surrey with those Village of the Damned blue eyes considers intelligence to be his biggest asset, and has used it to ensure that he regularly tests himself in the boardroom showdowns by being on the losing side almost every week. He may well be testing out the Nietzschean principle: that which does not get you fired makes you stronger. He may not.
Stuart Baggs
“The Brand” was a 20/1 outsider to win the contest before the show began in September, but has barely stopped talking up his chances since. His never-ending self-praised talents, we now know, include being able to count up to 20 in German. At just 21, though, it’s not all that long since he was flogging yo-yos to his mates/customers in the school playground, so there's a good chance that he will one day look back and laugh at his arrogant younger self. For the moment, though, that pleasure is all ours.
Joanna Riley
The 25-year-old from Leicester, who runs her own cleaning company, has proved to be a tenacious candidate, not least in her commitment to the concept that when it comes to crisps Germans are nursing deep, secret and as yet barely exploited desires for sausage and curry flavouring. Has cannily curbed her more combative instincts, however, to still be in the running.
Jamie Lester
The 28-year-old Londoner was an estate agent before setting up on his own four years ago. Now an overseas property developer, he was the pre-contest favourite to win, and has been a relatively calm presence throughout. Having survived the ‘penguin-skiing debacle’, and some indifferent weeks, he needs a strong performance in the final weeks to stand any chance of walking off with the job.
Stella English
The 30-year-old Londoner left school with no qualifications, but flourished in a Japanese bank and is now head of business management. She came into the contest as second favourite and has continued to make serene progress through the rounds with a combination of cool confidence and ability to be on the winning team. Possibly the least cartoon-like of all the remaining candidates, she could just sneak through and win it.
Liz Locke
Many people’s favourite to win, the 24-year-old investment banker from Birmingham has proved herself an effective saleswoman and a surprisingly good team player. She also survived a boardroom showdown after an episode in which she resorted to spying on the opposing team. Likely to make the final.
