Junior Apprentice finalists must put on sparkling show

Zoe Plummer, Tim Ankers, Kirsty Cleaver and Arjun Rajyagor face the final Junior Apprentice showdown today – a task to create their own brand of bottled water.

The finalists must make a splash by coming up with a name, product identity and TV ad and jingle before presenting their prototype to leading industry experts – and Lord Sugar.

Kirsty is paired up with Zoe and they opt for the teenage market, while Tim and Arjun decide to target twentysomething professionals.

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Fired candidates also make a return to help the hopefuls. Tim and Arjun pick Adam Eliaz, Rhys Rosser and Emma Walker, while Zoe and Kirsty plump for Hannah Cherry, Hibah Ansary and Jordan De Courcy.

The 25,000 prize will be controlled by Lord Sugar and will be carefully handed out like pocket money when the winner wants to take on a suitable venture.

Brainbox Arjun feels confident and says: "Lord Sugar said to me that he didn't see me as much of a team leader and that I wasn't very decisive. I think I've manned up a bit now."

Before the task gets under way, Zoe admits: "I think one of the things that Lord Sugar picked up on is the fact that he thinks I can sometimes be too domineering. So I've taken that on board."

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But she soon struggles to collaborate with co-project manager Kirsty and shoots down her suggestion of Hydr8 as a product name, saying: "It's not cool." The team agrees on Hibah's suggestion of Drip Drop but Kirsty worries: "It is really difficult because we're in a situation where there are two people in charge."

Tim suggests a simple product called A Bottle of Water, but team members land themselves in hot water when too many actors are booked for their advert.

Last night, viewers saw Emma fired after the teams pitched products by Dutch designers to UK retailers. Winning team Instinct surpassed the sales of any other Apprentice series – making total sales of 39,785.09.

Lord Sugar beamed: "That is the record that anybody has ever sold in this boardroom!"

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Maverick saleswoman Zoe was given some caring words of warning from "uncle" Lord Sugar.

He said: "You might not know this, you might not recognise it and it takes someone like Uncle Lord Sugar here to point it out to you that you have this ability to rub people up the wrong way.

"I'm afraid that is a bad trait in business and I get the feeling that it is (your) way or no other way."

Emma, 16, from Cheshire, later described Lord Sugar as "the most inspiring person I have ever met".

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She tipped Arjun to win, saying: "Arjun is definitely the strongest candidate left. He has the amazing ability of being good at everything he puts his hand to."

The Junior Apprentice final airs tonight at 9pm on BBC1.

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