Channel Nine has announced an Australian version of The Apprentice will be made, to be fronted by Wizard Finance creator Mark Bouris. 
To be produced by FremantleMedia Australia, it’s a surprising move given the franchise is now several years old and hardly considered “hot property” anymore. It’s been some time since we’ve seen The Trump on free-to-air, and even Seven’s attempt at the UK Apprentice, with Alan Sugar, didn’t exactly light up our screens either.
So can a local version work? FremantleMedia at least has a good track record at Australian adaptations of international series, including MasterChef Australia, Australian Idol, The Biggest Loser and Project Runway Australia.
Nine also found that its local version of Ladette to Lady did quite nicely, thank you. But in this game there are no guarantees. Neither Australian Survivor or Celebrity Survivor, which like this format are both Mark Burnett franchises, worked in Australia.
It will also be risky launching a show that has succeeded with its wealthy excess in a time of recession. But most reality shows hinge on their casting. Mark Bouris is offering the winner of the local series an executive position in his financial-services firm company, Yellow Brick Road on a cool six-figure salary.
To be part of my team you will need to understand the concept that everyone has financial dreams, and that this is something that all Australians are entitled to, he says. “In many cases owning your own home and a comfortable retirement is ultimately what people want. For me empathy is really important and I’m not interested in an apprentice who only wants to look after the top end of the financial spectrum. Being in my team means that you will want to help both.”
If you are aged 18 and over from August 1st and available for filming from July to September then you’ve met the first two criteria for auditions. You can apply for the show until Friday July 3rd at www.ninemsn.com.au/apprentice.
The show is due to screen later this year.
Source : http://www.tv.com/story/15621.html
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Gordon Ramsay targets Tracy Grimshaw in rant
Posted in Local News, tagged A Current Affair, a lesbian, a pig, activities., animal, audience, Australian journalist, Botox doctor, celebrity chef, Channel Nine, Chef, chief executive, comedian, comment, commented, cook, cooking., create, crowd, Current Affair, David Gyngell, depicting a woman, depictions, deriding her looks?, describe lesbians., dump him Australia., executive producer, facial mole, food and wine, food expo, FOUL-mouthed, Friday nightsponsor, gasps, get paid, Good Food and Wine Show, Gordon Ramsay., Grant Williams, great relationship, Grimshaw, Grimshaw's, Grimshaw's sexual preference, Hell's Kitchen, high profile, highly derogatory, holy crap, immediately, impress, inappropriate, incident, interview, interviewed, joke, kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, LG, Local News, looks, major sponsor, Melbourne, Melinda Tankard Reist, money, nightmare., Nine's, obscene, of women., out of order., pretty good, programs, public, publicly, putrid tirade, Ramsay's sponsors, rating highly, reacted, references, remove, send him packing.", sexist rant., sexuality, shocked, shocked audiences, Simon Cowell's, spokeswoman for Ramsay, sponsors, stunt, Sunday Herald Sun reports., support, term, The Chaser.", too far, Tracy Grimshaw, trip, verbal abuse, vilifying, wart, Women's Forum Australia on June 7, 2009| 2 Comments »
The putrid tirade, which included references to Grimshaw’s looks, sexuality and depictions of her as a pig, shocked audiences who went to see the celebrity chef at the Good Food and Wine Show in Melbourne.
Ramsay told an audience of several thousand people that Grimshaw was “a lesbian”, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.
When the crowd reacted with gasps, he said: “What? I’m not saying she’s a …”
The phrase that Ramsay used was a highly derogatory term often used to describe lesbians.
Ramsay also showed a picture of a woman – who appeared to be naked – on her hands and knees with the features of a pig and multiple breasts.
Tracy Grimshaw,” he told the audience. “I had an interview with her yesterday – holy crap.
“She needs to see Simon Cowell’s Botox doctor.”
Ramsay – who later dismissed the comments as a joke – went on with more innuendos about Grimshaw’s sexual preference and activities.
The crude remarks did not impress Channel Nine chief executive David Gyngell, who phoned Ramsay to tell him they were inappropriate and that he had gone too far.
Just a year ago, the celebrity chef had been lauded as the network’s saviour, with his programs Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares rating highly.
Mandy Saunders was at the food expo with her two children and elderly mother.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing – it was disgusting,” Ms Saunders said.
“The show is meant for families. That was way out of order.”
Anthony Kavroulas was also in the audience at Ramsay’s performance.
“What can I say? It was totally sexist,” Mr Kavroulas said.
Women’s groups also expressed their disgust, saying it was wrong that Ramsay was making money by comparing women with animals.
Melinda Tankard Reist, from Women’s Forum Australia, said Ramsay’s sponsors should dump him and he should leave Australia.
“Ramsay’s sexist and demeaning actions are offensive to every Australian woman,” Ms Reist said.
“Why should he get paid for depicting a woman as an animal and publicly deriding her looks?
“He shouldn’t be making money through the verbal abuse of women.
“Gordon Ramsay is no longer welcome here. The sponsors of his trip should immediately remove their support and send him packing.”
LG, a major sponsor of the Good Food and Wine Show, said it did not want to comment on the incident.
Ramsay appeared on Nine’s A Current Affair and was interviewed by Tracy Grimshaw on Friday night.
During the interview, he commented on Grimshaw’s facial mole, asking: “Is that a wart? It looks like your little sister’s on your lip.”
Grimshaw appeared to take that remark well.
But A Current Affair executive producer Grant Williams said yesterday the chef had gone too far and should stick to cooking and lay off the comedy.
“We know Gordon Ramsay sets out to shock, but if what we’re being told is true, we’re very surprised,” Williams said.
“Frankly, although it’s plainly a joke, it’s out of order.
“Gordon has proved here that he doesn’t need to be in the kitchen to create a nightmare.
“As a comedian, he makes a pretty good cook. Maybe he’d be better off at The Chaser.”
A spokeswoman for Ramsay said the stunt was just a joke and should have been taken as one.
“He really respects Tracy Grimshaw as a journalist. It was just a joke,” Sarah Armstrong said.
“She interviews him every time he comes to Australia. They have a great relationship.”
Source www.news.com.au
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