'Flirty' Apprentice fired

10:29 07 May 2009

Philip Taylor has become the latest candidate to be axed from the BBC show 'The Apprentice'.

The 29-year-old from County Durham was fired by Sir Alan Sugar after he was told about his flirtatious relationship with fellow contestant Kate Walsh.

This week's task saw the business hopefuls travel to Liverpool and Manchester to hear new British inventors pitch their products to the businessmen. The teams selected two products to sell on to retailers and Taylor came out on the losing side.

Sir Alan decided to fire him ahead of 27-year-old Walsh and 36-year-old Lorraine Tighe.

Tighe, who acted as project manager, criticised her team in the boardroom, stating: "I just think they were on a jolly day out to be honest.

"Outside of this boardroom there is a close friendship going on here and I believe on that day it did affect their ability."

Take on the boss Could you handle Sir Alan Sugar?

Sir Alan confronted Taylor with: "I think I'm clear in my mind that your bravado and attitude isn't going to fit in my organisation".

Taylor said he believed he had had the potential "to go a lot further", despite a narrow escape only two weeks prior for his role in the "Pants Man" advertising catastrophe.

Eight contestants remain in the hit BBC programme, won last year by recruitment sales manager Lee McQueen.