The Apprentice: Lord Sugar fires apprentice BEFORE boardroom eviction tonight

A shock exit hits The Apprentice tonight as Lord Sugar boots out a candidate earlier than normal.

The business magnate’s furious reaction to a lacklustre performance by one team leads to a bruising board room encounter.

One contestant is fired during the appraisal section of the show.

Three hopefuls are then dragged back into Lord Sugar’s lair in what could be the first double firing of the series.

A source at The Apprentice said: “It goes to show Lord Sugar is still as tough as ever when it comes to choosing a business partner, as the candidates were shocked to see they could always be in the firing line.”

The episode sees the candidates tasked with tapping into the UK’s boating and leisure industry at Poole Harbour Boat Show.

The wet and windy weather means both teams struggle for sales as drenched passers-by opt to keep their money in their pockets rather than purchase jet skis, fish cushions or snorkels.

It increasingly seems Lord Sugar may have picked a cast of duds for this year’s Apprentice, with viewers starting to lose patience with their chaotic approach from the start of the series.

Fans have been complaining that the 2016 crop of candidates are particularly terrible as they watch them blunder their way through the tasks each week.

By week four alone, in one challenge both teams performed so badly that Lord Sugar refused to name a winner.

In another episode a vital prototype product was misplaced shortly after the task began.

And in a further outing a candidate walked out of the process just minutes into the episode.

Viewers said an improvement in the standard of contestants was needed.

In fact, people were beginning to wonder if any of the candidates are worthy of Sugar’s cash.

There were even calls from some viewers that the programme should be given a rest.

However, there’s one saving grace this year.