The boardroom drama on BBC One’s The Apprentice reached a new pitch on Thursday, February 5, 2026, as Marcus Donkoh, a barbershop owner from south London, became the third entrepreneur to be fired by Lord Alan Sugar in the show’s twentieth season. The episode marked another shakeup for the group of ambitious business hopefuls, following a double elimination in the season’s opening week that set a brisk—and unforgiving—pace for the competition.
This week’s task was a creative challenge with a commercial twist: the two teams were asked to develop their own children’s book and accompanying audio version, tailored for four- to six-year-olds, and then pitch their ideas to industry retailers. According to Daily Mail, the stakes were high, with the winning team determined by sales performance—a measure that left little room for error or indecision.
Marcus Donkoh stepped up as project manager for his team, hoping to showcase his business savvy honed over five years running his own barbershop. But the challenge proved tougher than expected. The team’s concept, which reportedly leaned on toilet humor, failed to charm the retailers. As Radio Times noted, the investors were not impressed, and the team’s sales lagged behind their competitors.
When the results were revealed, Marcus’s team found themselves on the losing side. As is tradition, the project manager faced a difficult decision: whom to bring back to the boardroom to face Lord Sugar’s scrutiny. Marcus initially selected Kieran McCartney and Dan Miller, but in a tense moment, he changed his mind and asked to swap Dan for Priyesh Bathia. This last-minute switch raised eyebrows and may have contributed to the perception of indecision—something that rarely plays well in the high-pressure environment of The Apprentice.
Reflecting on his departure, Marcus told Daily Mail, “I was absolutely gutted. I had so much more to give to the show. I feel as though I didn’t really get to showcase my business acumen and my business skills, considering I’ve been running a business for five years and a successful one at that.” He added, “And I was mostly upset at the fact that I couldn’t see the other candidates. They were amazing people, absolutely class individuals. I think the production team did an amazing job gathering the candidates together. We all fit together really well. So yeah, I think missing them was probably the biggest part.”
Marcus was also candid about whether he felt his firing was justified. “No. I definitely did not deserve to go,” he said. “I feel as though, in the real business world, you have a lot of information—you do have to make quick decisions, but you have time to think. It was really intense in the boardroom, I had to make a decision very quickly on who to bring back. So, changing my mind didn’t help, but I feel as though there were other candidates that performed a lot worse than I did, didn’t do what they were supposed to do, and I feel as though they deserved to get kicked off rather than myself.”
His disappointment was compounded by the fact that he had big plans for his business, Mavade, aiming to scale it into a global grooming and lifestyle conglomerate. The opportunity to partner with Lord Sugar and secure a £250,000 investment was now out of reach. “Putting myself forward as PM, I thought it would be appreciated in the sense of I’m taking a risk, but it is what it is. Onwards and upwards,” Marcus reflected as he left the competition, according to Radio Times.
This latest firing follows a dramatic opening week, where not one but two candidates were sent home. Events manager Georgina Newton and mortgage broker Nikki Jetha were both let go after a challenging task in Hong Kong, which required teams to find nine items for the lowest possible price. The girls’ team, led by Nikki as project manager, managed to return with only two items and were nearly two hours late to the finish line—a performance Lord Sugar deemed unacceptable.
Both Nikki and Georgina voiced their frustration with the decision. Nikki explained, “No, definitely not. I was brave enough to stand up and take on a challenge during the first task. It was, you know, unfamiliar territory. Not knowing the process, let alone the country, and not having internet and things like that. But I did the best I could do under the pressure, with limited information, and I’d rather be fired for stepping up than staying safe in the background. There’s a saying that ships are safest in the harbour, but that’s not what they’re built for.”
Georgina echoed similar sentiments, stating, “No, I didn’t. I think in the first episode, I probably contributed more than anybody on my team, and I think for the show, the person that contributes the least should go home. I thought I had a few more weeks at least left in me.”
Lord Sugar’s rationale for the double elimination was made clear in his boardroom remarks. Addressing Georgina, he said, “Georgina, I think you’re your own worst enemy. You come in here, you bring two people in and you say they shouldn’t be here. And so you leave me with nowhere to go, so Georgina, regretfully you’re fired.” Turning to Nikki, he added, “Yes you put yourself forward as the project manager, very brave, but you were two hours late and you only got one item, and you were the overall project manager... And so it is with regret that you’re fired.”
For viewers, the rapid-fire eliminations have made for compelling television, but for the candidates, the pressure is palpable. The show’s format, which rewards quick thinking but punishes indecision and poor leadership, often leaves little room for error—or second chances. As Marcus, Nikki, and Georgina’s experiences show, stepping up as project manager is a double-edged sword: it’s a chance to shine, but also a risk that can end a candidate’s journey prematurely.
Despite the setbacks, the fired candidates have taken their exits in stride, expressing pride in their willingness to lead and take risks. Nikki summed up the experience with a touch of resilience: “In hindsight, I would do a lot differently, but that’s just the luxury you don’t get, unfortunately. But I trusted my instincts, I made decisive calls, and I’ll do that again. I guess I did something that many people think about, but they don’t actually stand up and do.”
The competition continues, with The Apprentice airing Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer, and the companion show The Apprentice: Unfinished Business following on BBC Two. With the field narrowing and the challenges intensifying, viewers can expect more high-stakes decisions—and perhaps a few more surprises—before Lord Sugar chooses who will ultimately win his investment.