BBC The Apprentice viewers floored as 'completely forgotten' contestant returns

Viewers tuning into the final of The Apprentice were shocked after a contestant booted out earlier in the series returned to help - and they had no idea who he was. It came after Lord Alan Sugar announced some of the previous contestants would return to help the two finalists - Phil Turner and Rachel Woolford - launch their business plans.

Paul Bowen was picked by fellow foodie and finalist Phil to help him create his pie business brand and pitch it to industry experts. But as he appeared on screen, viewers said they couldn't remember Paul, who had also entered the competition hoping to get Lord Sugar to invest in his own pie business, at all.

Paul was the second to be fired by Lord Alan Sugar on the BBC show. One viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I have no idea who pie shop Paul is," adding a shrugging and crying with laughter emojis.

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A second echoed: "I don't remember that last guy." "Wait, who's that guy that was picked last?" asked a third viewer.

"Who even is the ginger dude, I'm not missed an episode and I don't remember him before," another commented.

Paul was sacked in week two by Lord Sugar after he kept 'banging on about chocolate' to a health conscious food company. The teams had been tasked with making cheesecakes for the public and corporate clients.

In the boardroom, Lord Sugar told him 'Paul, I admire you for admitting your mistakes but there were simply too many mistakes and so it is with regret, Paul, you're fired.'

Paul said in the taxi: 'The biggest regret is obviously banging on about chocolate but, hey, it's time to go back and make some pies.' After his exit, Paul admitted that he had felt 'pressure' to appear like the 'class clown' on the show, that hindered his ability to show himself as a serious businessman.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'You know, I am a funny, comedy guy and I like to have fun. All my decisions were business-based decisions but chat - I love a laugh!" He added: 'You know, being from up North and being down South, there is some different humour there. I don't think he [Lord Sugar] quite got my humour but I just kept on trying and trying.'