The Apprentice 10 is the tenth and final original format installment of the United States version of international franchise and reality game series The Apprentice. For this particular season, the show departed from The Celebrity Apprentice and returned to its precursor, featuring unknowns as apprentices instead of celebrities. Not since season six, during the 2006–07 television season, did the show use this format. The theme of the season is "second chance" and the contestants are those affected by the Great Recession. Brandy Kuentzel was the winner of this season.
The format of the show is much the same as was employed between the first and fifth seasons, with the changes introduced in The Apprentice: Los Angeles being discarded. The biggest change is to the rewards—unlike the often-lavish rewards that had been granted in prior seasons to the winning teams, in this season, the winning Project Managers are rewarded with one-on-one meetings with some of America's best-known business leaders and CEOs. Taping began June 1, 2010, and ended on June 29, 2010. The season premiered on Thursday, September 16, 2010, at 9–11 pm ET.
Despite hopes by fans that this season would lead to a permanent return of the original format, the season received the lowest audience figures of any Apprentice season, managing barely half the ratings of the panned season six, which had been the previous lowest-rated season. In addition, critics roundly condemned the decision to bring back the non-charity format, saying it was inappropriate to do so during an economic crisis (although this season was dedicated to helping victims of the recession). Because of the poor ratings and lackluster reception of this season, Donald Trump confirmed on the day of the final episode that the original format would be permanently discontinued after this season, and that all future seasons of the show would be in the Celebrity Apprentice format. The season was the first in the history of The Apprentice to end without a live finale.
Candidates CandidateBackgroundOriginal teamAgeHometownResultBrandy KuentzelFormer corporate attorneyFortitude30San Francisco, CaliforniaHired by Trump(12–09–2010)Clint RobertsonStruggling property developerOctane40Fort Worth, TexasFired in the season finale(12–09–2010)Liza Mucheru-WisnerStruggling business ownerFortitude30Corpus Christi, TexasFired in week 12(12–02–2010)Steuart MartensFledgling entrepreneurOctane27Washington, D.C.Fired in week 11(11–25–2010)Stephanie CastagnierUnemployed bankerFortitude34Chicago, IllinoisFired in week 10(11–18–2010)Poppy CarligUnemployed grad studentFortitude24Richmond, CaliforniaFired in week 9(11–11–2010)Anand VasudevStruggling business ownerOctane31Tampa, FloridaDisqualified in week 9(11–11–2010)David JohnsonUnemployed account managerOctane34Portage, MichiganFired in week 8(11–04–2010)Mahsa Saeidi-AzcuyAssistant district attorneyFortitude29Brooklyn, New YorkFired in week 7(10–28–2010)Kelly Smith BeatyUnemployed publicistFortitude30Fayetteville, GeorgiaFired in week 6(10–21–2010)Wade HansonStruggling realtorOctane33Woodbury, MinnesotaFired in week 5(10–14–2010)Gene FolkesUnemployed financial adviserOctane46Wylie, TexasFired in week 5(10–14–2010)Tyana AlvaradoUnemployed sales rep.Fortitude41Miami, FloridaFired in week 4(10–07–2010)James WeirUnemployed attorneyOctane31New York, New YorkFired in week 3(09–30–2010)Alex DelgadoFormer construction engineerOctane43Santa Ynez, CaliforniaFired in week 2(09–23–2010)Nicole ChiuUnemployed attorneyFortitude27Palos Verdes, CaliforniaFired in week 1(09–16–2010)
Weekly results Candidate Original team Week 8 team Week 9 team Week 11 team Final Task team Application result Record as project managerBrandy KuentzelFortitudeOctaneOctaneFortitudeFortitudeHired by Trump1–0 (win in week 8)Clint RobertsonOctaneOctaneOctaneOctaneOctaneFired in the season finale2–1 (win in weeks 4 & 9, loss in week 11)Liza Mucheru-WisnerFortitudeOctaneFortitudeFortitudeFortitudeFired in week 121–1 (win in week 11, loss in week 7)Steuart MartensOctaneOctaneOctaneOctaneOctaneFired in week 112–0 (win in weeks 7 & 10)Stephanie CastagnierFortitudeFortitudeFortitudeFortitudeFired in week 101–1 (win in week 5, loss in week 10)Poppy CarligFortitudeFortitudeFortitudeOctaneFired in week 91–1 (win in week 2, loss in week 9)Anand VasudevOctaneFortitudeFortitudeDisqualified in week 91–0 (win in week 6)David JohnsonOctaneFortitudeFired in week 80–2 (loss in weeks 2 & 8)Mahsa Saeidi-AzcuyFortitudeOctaneFired in week 70–1 (loss in week 4)Kelly Smith BeatyFortitudeFired in week 60–1 (loss in week 6)Wade HansonOctaneFired in week 50–1 (loss in week 5)Gene FolkesOctaneFired in week 51–0 (win in week 1)Tyana AlvaradoFortitudeFired in week 41–0 (win in week 3)James WeirOctaneFired in week 30–1 (loss in week 3)Alex DelgadoOctaneFired in week 2Nicole ChiuFortitudeFired in week 10–1 (loss in week 1) Elimination chartNo.Candidate123456789101112131 Brandy INININ ININ IN IN WINININININ HIRED 2 ClintIN IN IN WIN ININININ WININ LOSEINFIRED3 Liza INININ BRIN BR LOSEIN BR BR WINFIRED4 SteuartIN IN ININ ININ WINININ WINFIRED5 Stephanie INININ IN WIN BR IN BR BRFIRED6 Poppy IN WININ ININ IN IN BRFIRED7 AnandIN IN ININ IN WININ INDQ8 DavidIN LOSE BR IN INININFIRED9 Mahsa BRININ LOSEIN INFIRED10 Kelly INININ ININFIRED11 WadeIN IN BRINFIRED12 Gene WIN IN ININFIRED13 Tyana BRIN WINFIRED14 JamesIN BRFIRED15 AlexINFIRED16 NicoleFIRED The candidate was hired and won the competition. The candidate won as project manager on his/her team. The candidate lost as project manager on his/her team. The candidate was on the losing team. The candidate was on the losing team and brought to the final boardroom. The candidate was fired. The candidate lost as project manager and was fired. The candidate was disqualified from the competition for breaking the rules. The candidate didn't participate in the challenge.
Episodes
Episode 1: Back to Work Airdate: September 16, 2010 Task scope: The teams were tasked with creating an office workspace. Fortitude project manager: Nicole Octane project manager: Gene Judges: Donald Trump; Ivanka Trump; Donald Trump Jr. Winning team: Octane Reasons for win: Trump expressed that he didn't like either team's designs, but he preferred Octane's modern SOHO design. Reward: Gene is rewarded by having the opportunity to sit down with Donald Trump Losing team: Fortitude Reasons for loss: Their office space felt too enclosed and uninviting. Moreover, Tyana insisted on placing a portrait of an unidentified elderly businessman in the middle of the office, giving it an overly formal and stuffy atmosphere. Sent to boardroom: Nicole, Tyana, Mahsa Fired: Nicole Chiu – for being deemed unanimously as a bad leader by her teammates and for losing their respect, a lack of overall leadership, relying on the team too much for decision making, and for not effectively defending herself in the boardroom against Tyana and Mahsa.
Episode 2: Frozen Assets Airdate: September 23, 2010 Task scope: The teams had to sell ice cream on the streets of New York. Fortitude project manager: Poppy Octane project manager: David Judges: Donald Trump; George H. Ross; Donald Trump Jr. Tension: Constant bickering between Stephanie, Poppy, Brandy, and Liza flared. Winning team: Fortitude Reasons for win: They earned $1800 in profit. Reward: Poppy is rewarded by having the opportunity to sit down with Jack Welch, former CEO Of General Electric and two-year scholarship to the Jack Welch Management Institute Losing team: Octane Reasons for loss: Lost by $300 with total profit of $1500. Sent to boardroom: David, Alex, James Fired: Alex Delgado – for lack of skill in sales, not defending himself in the boardroom, and for not being a good overall contributor to the team, as well as not having enough passion. Notes: Fortitude acknowledged that tension was building between them, and the women said that if they lost that Liza should be fired. Trump jokingly fired Liza and then announced that the women won. Alex is the only person this season not to have a record as project manager.
Episode 3: Working Like a Dog Airdate: September 30, 2010 Task scope: To organize and manage a doggy day care. Fortitude project manager: Tyana Octane project manager: James Judges: Donald Trump; Ivanka Trump; Donald Trump Jr. Tension: At Octane, James prevented David from asking questions in the meeting with the owner, which infuriated David. At Fortitude, Tyana did not want Mahsa working at reception, which angered Mahsa. In the boardroom, the girls once again went after Liza after Brandy informed Trump that Liza had sworn at Poppy, and Liza became emotional when they all attacked her in the boardroom. However, the girls eventually won and Donald jokingly said that Liza still had to work with "these bitches." Winning team: Fortitude Reasons for win: The women's team was run smooth and nicely done. Both the owner of the day care and Mr. Milan loved what the women did. Reward: A sit down with Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and founder of Phat Farm, and a $10,000 Calvin Klein gift card Losing team: Octane Reasons for loss: The owner hated the job that the men's team did and felt that James showed him a lack of respect by repeatedly ignoring his requests to be told what the men were doing. It also did not help that James had removed David from the project completely, which left them a man down. Sent to boardroom: James, Wade, David Fired: James Weir – for not being respected by his teammates, not listening to the owner of the shop, benching David for no good reason, then bringing him back and questionable motives in bringing Wade to the boardroom also.
Episode 4: Snack Attack Airdate: October 7, 2010 Task scope: The teams are asked to develop a viral video for Popcorn Indiana. Fortitude project manager: Mahsa Octane project manager: Clint Judges: Donald Trump; Ivanka Trump; Donald Trump Jr. Winning team: Octane Reasons for win: Even though the judges didn't like the violence in the viral video, they felt the men's team video was more entertaining. Reward: Clint got to meet with Steve Forbes of Forbes magazine Losing team: Fortitude Reasons for loss: Although the executives thought they had a better idea of popcorn in the gym, they felt it seemed more like a commercial and didn't focus on the right demographic. Boardroom tension: Although Liza wanted to blame the project manager, she instead went after Tyana, fearing the wrath of Mahsa in the boardroom. Tyana in turn attempted to accuse Mahsa of coming up with a bad concept, but shot herself in the foot by doing so, since Trump and the Popcorn Indiana executives thought the idea itself was a very good one which had been lost in the execution, and that if anything Tyana was the one to blame for that. Sent to boardroom: Mahsa, Tyana, Liza Fired: Tyana Alvarado – for complaining about the team's concept of the viral video and effectively being disloyal, having no ideas for the video herself, and for her very little contributions in the task. Notes: David had to withdraw from the task at the start of the day, after one of his teeth broke apart while eating breakfast. Steuart tried to persuade Clint to bring David back into the boardroom anyway if the men lost, but Clint thought this was a bad idea, and that Trump wouldn't fire David for something that wasn't his fault. While Wade had said in the previous boardroom that he would be Octane's project manager on this task, he allowed Clint to take the role instead, annoying Trump when he found this out in the task briefing. Wade said that he would lead Octane in the next task, to which Trump replied "Let's hope you last that long", strongly implying that Wade would have been fired had the men lost.
Episode 5: Rock the Catwalk Airdate: October 14, 2010 Task scope: The teams were asked to manage and present a fashion show presenting men's & women's shoe lines for Rockport. Fortitude project manager: Stephanie