1/5/2008

Local News

End of the line for Kevin

Kevin discusses tactics with his teammates

IT was game over for Woking’s would-be Apprentice on Wednesday when he heard the dreaded words from Sir Alan Sugar: "You’re fired."

Bank manager Kevin Shaw was shown the door having lasted six weeks in the BBC1 reality show.

Teams were set the task of creating a range of greetings cards to promote a special occasion.

Kevin was put in charge of Team Renaissance who shunned ideas for religious-themed or prom day cards in favour of a range with an environmental message. 

But the bid to be green pioneers failed quite miserably.

The group made a major faux-pas by allowing Kevin to pitch their idea to the three top greetings card retailers.

Members also slipped up with their idea about sending a greetings card to promote the green message — not the greatest way of saving precious resources like paper.

Despite having passionate environmentalist Jenny Celerier and retail buyer Claire Young on his team, Kevin put himself forward to make the presentation, boasting: “Pitching is what I do best. I can put a lot of passion in my voice. I’m totally 150% confident I can go in there and nail a pitch.”

At the 11th hour he realised that both Claire and Jenny may have made a better job of it but it was too late.

He preached green facts to the retailers and on his way back from Clinton Cards, he said: “If they don’t want to support the environment then they are an unenvironmentally friendly company. If that’s the attitude everyone takes we are not going to be able to save any planet.”

Kevin finally lost out in the boardroom

Teammate Claire, who compared Kevin to a pit bull terrier who bites quite easily, described his presentation style as being “like a machine gun.”

In the end it was all too much for Kevin in the boardroom and despite him pleading with Sir Alan not to fire him, he took the blame for the fiasco and was sent home.

On his outward taxi journey back to Woking, Kevin said: “It was a massive blow. I am very disappointed but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

First printed in: Woking News and Mail

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