By Aalia Khan
As we gear up for another series of The Apprentice on the box, most of us are still reeling over the shocking firing of three contestants last week. Last series Lord Sugar gave the contestants the task of creating video channels for You Tube. Despite both teams producing disappointing results, there always has to be one winner and a loser. For winning team Summit’s team leader Soloman Akhtar, it was a close call, both in the board room and out of it.
The self proclaimed party boy, Soloman Akhtar recently landed himself into a sticky situation when rumours spiralled that a supposed sex tape he made with one of his ex-girlfriends could be leaked.
The BBC Bosses were believed to be concerned that Soloman’s sex tape could be leaked whilst the tenth series is airing. Although Soloman is said to be on good terms with his ex there are still fears that she could leak the alleged tape as word of it has already spread.
News of the tape emerged from a friend of Soloman’s who tweeted ‘revelation of the day’ along with information of the tape, the tweet was later deleted. His friends have reportedly told The Sun that this tape is one of many and his other ex girlfriends could still potentially bring out some scoops.
Zeeshan Shah, 2013 Apprentice candidate says it is “Disappointing” to hear such news about the candidate, and dependant on how far this controversy goes it could affect Soloman’s chances of being successful within the show, “If he gets to the final, and this issue escalates then it will definitely damage his chances of winning.” Zeeshan, also known as Zee, advised that Soloman should try and find out where this information is coming from and handle the sources, he also says Soloman should “Keep quiet for now and try to end the story.”
According to The Sun a show insider said: ‘This is a concern for Solomon and the BBC. Both are hoping his conquests keep quiet. He is still on good terms with his ex, so while she has obviously told friends about the tape, fingers are crossed that she won’t leak it. But there are no guarantees that she, or any other former flames, won’t come out of the woodwork and reveal what he’s been up to.’
Azhar Siddique, a 2012 Apprentice candidate said “Soloman is coming across very bright, smart and intelligent.” However Azhar did say that “If news like that is coming out at the moment about a particular candidate then it is more likely than they will not be in the finals.” Azhar stated that candidates who make it to the final “Generally do not try and get any media attention.” Could it be possible that Soloman has himself allowed this information to leak through his friends?
It is said that ‘Solly’ known to his friends had to confess about the tape to the BBC bosses after his friends revealed the information, however Soloman spoke to The Tab and denied any of these stories, stating that there is no tape and it is ‘All Bullshit’, he was unable to say anything further.
Despite the controversy Zee believes that Soloman is a good candidate for the show, “He is very quiet but that can be deceiving at times; when somebody is quiet the audience might believe that he is not interesting but behind the scenes Lord Sugar is taking notes of the things he is doing.” Zee says Soloman is “quite an intelligent guy” and he may be doing well in the background. He also says Soloman’s background in tech could prove to be an asset for him as Lord Sugar is also from a tech background himself.
Zee advised that all the candidates should “Work hard, carry on doing what you are doing, and when you see an opportunity and task that you think is right for you then definitely go for it with full force, but do not jump into anything unnecessarily without thinking.” Azhar’s one piece of advice to the candidates was to “Enjoy the ride.”
Soloman is a young entrepreneur who runs his own social media technology business and works at a creative agency. He is looking to build a possible business with Lord Sugar if he emerges as the winner of this year’s apprentice, but could this sandal ruin his chances?
