The Apprentice

It was never my intention when creating this blog that it should be used as a commentary on reality television. A few days in existence and that status has changed.

The current series of Sir Alan Sugar's The Apprentice has been aired now for a few weeks and features a candidate from Northern Ireland called Ben Clarke, who seems to lack either a good razor or a decent beard but has arrogance to burn. In a recent episode the contestants were asked to invent a new piece of exercise equipment for the home, Ben suggested a new sex toy. Which is why it has come as some surprise to hear that Ben has become a pin up and role model for the DUP. Trevor Clarke MLA, who is no relation to Ben, has stated in a press release "Ben offers an example to us all". If we accept that a considerable number of DUP followers do not equate fitness with sex toys there must be another reason why he is held in such high esteem.

One has only to look at the comments of Paula Jones, the contestant fired on the latest episode, to see what Ben has to offer as a DUP role model.

"Ben became completely unnecessarily aggressive towards me. I think he took it personally that I took him into the boardroom. He accepted no responsibility whatsoever and just behaved like a child, like a bully. He's very, very opinionated about everybody he comes into contact with and if you're going to behave in that way you've got to be pretty slick yourself and he just isn't. The lad's a no-mark. And it won't surprise me if he gets fired fairly soon, because nobody likes a bully."

Ben's personal attributes make him a perfect role model for the DUP. Indeed were his name Robinson, Dodds or McCrea then his career would already be mapped out for him. So perhaps a piece of advice for young Ben, if you want to earn £250,000 a year with a penthouse in London, a home in Belfast and a villa in Florida don't change your job, change your name. You already have everything else you need.