Telly Talk: Christopher Farrell’s card was marked the minute the slimy one starred in that advert for the ridiculous Octikleen.

That lingering leer as he selected an actress to play his wife, before plumping for one that looked young enough to be his daughter, lost him most of the female audience on the spot and I’m sure any respect from Lord Sugar – a man as famous for his lengthy marriage as for his business prowess.

But in the end it wasn’tFarrell’s attraction to the ladies which proved to be the final nail in his coffin.

It was really a case of Lord Sugar being caught between a rock and a hard place, with very little beneath his feet to ease the crush of candidates suitable for the two little words they all fear – “You’re Fired”.

Last night’s task saw the two teams selling crisps to the Germans.

First, how could Baggs the brand be on the winning team once again – the man contradicts everything that is normal human behaviour. More surprising was the fact that Liz, now emerging as favourite to win, found herself on the losing team for the second week in a row.

Far from the exceptional candidates the voiceover would have us believe are selected for this programme, it seems to be that those victorious week after week are actually the ones who mess up the least. Winning by default seems the way to go.

Jamie may have started well but what a schoolboy error to change the appointment with the Marriott Hotel from 9am to 1pm, essentially missing out on a contract which would have won them the task.

Chris also showed early promise but as project manager he managed to somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Stella and team Synergy . His one clever move was to learn from Sandeesh’s mistake last week and send Liz home, preferring instead to haul Jamie and Christopher back into the boardroom to face Lord Sugar.

All three seemed to have developed Melissa Cohen’s style of speech, only this time they were making up whole sentences rather than just words.

The jowly, bearded one really did have an embarrassment of riches at which to point that finger. But in the end it was Christopher who walked after meekly declaring he was “popular” in a bid to save his skin.

He should have known he was talking to the wrong man. Surely anyone – especially “exceptional candidates” – would know Lord Sugar certainly didn’t get to where he is today by being popular.