The Apprentice: Viewers react as shocking double elimination sees fan-favourite fired right before Interview Week

WARNING: Spoilers for episode 10 of The Apprentice

Week Ten saw the remaining candidates split off into their teams, tasked with the challenge of creating an eco-conscious fashion brand consisting of a capsule wardrobe, a logo and an advert.

Team Parallel, made up of Chisola, Amber-Rose and Dean, created RE-Apparel, which focused on basic athleisure wear made from recycled plastic, while Team Ascendancy chose to go for an upcycling theme focusing on menswear.

Ascendancy found themselves in trouble after Mia suggested rejecting societal norms and creating a huge skirt, parachute jacket and crop top for their menswear collection. The decision by the design team, comprised of Jordan and Mia, left the marketing team, Liam and Anisa, scratching their heads, although the pair’s lackluster logo also did not impress.

After presenting their fashion brands to a room full of industry experts and collecting as many order as they can, the candidates made their way to the boardroom where Lord Sugar revealed the results of the task.

It was revealed that Team Ascendancy’s Express-Up brand proved too niche and unmarketable for the retailers. While six out of eight brands picked up orders, they were in very small amounts due to the clothing’s lack of mass appeal, leaving them with only 1,160 units ordered. On the flip side, Team Parallel’s RE-Apparel brand picked up orders from only three out of eight of the brand, but they ordered in much higher volume, with their sales totaling 2,150.

Lord Sugar revealed that there would be a double elimination before the infamous interviews next week. First out of the door was fashion brand owner Liam, who spent much of the task sulking after not being chosen as project manager by the team for a fashion task and then being refused his request to go onto the design team. His lack of contribution in the task led to Lord Sugar giving him the chop.

However, it was the next firing that really shocked fans. Lord Sugar determined that it was Mia’s decision to go with such unmarketable pieces that led to the failure of the task, firing the meal prep entrepreneur and leaving Anisa and Jordan in the process.

The moment shocked viewers up and down the country, with many marking Mia as their winner, including the bookies, following her impressive performances in previous tasks. Fans took to social media to vent their frustration with Lord Sugar’s decision.

One said on X (formerly Twitter): “Mia getting fired for her first mistake despite being the strongest candidate throughout the entire process...meanwhile Anisa got let off when she messed up?”

Another said: “Wow I never thought it would be Mia. I thought she would win it. That sigh at the end sounded like Mia didn’t think she would be going either.”

Another viewer added: “Mia's one of the best Apprentice Candidates I've seen. This is a sensational fumble.”

Speaking to Yahoo! News following her shock firing, Mia said: “You enter the process thinking you want to win it. For me, I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason and so maybe it's a good thing that my business plan wasn't scrutinised and I can leave with 10 weeks of good.”