Alan Sugar Exits Interview by BBC 'Gutter Journalist'

[Teddy Bear]

I believe that most reading this will be familiar with the annual series of The Apprentice. There are various reasons that one might find it entertaining, not least that those least liked will eventually get their comeuppance in the boardroom when being brought down by Alan Sugar. Clearly a successful businessman himself with a conception of how he needs to relate to the less successful applicants, particularly when it's a gross error or misjudgement they're guilty of. He is not responsible for the quality of applicants and has nothing to do with their being accepted on to the process.

That understood, one would hope that a BBC reporter interviewing Sir Alan about the show, particularly one that is purported to be a business reporter, would have understood that and directed his questions to something of interest to listeners.

Instead the reporter must have believed that he was going to make it more entertaining to listeners by accusing Sir Alan of bullying and harping on it. Eventually Sir Alan correctly referred to the reporter as a 'gutter journalist' and stormed out.

Can't say I blame him, and I'm not a great fan of his either.

Alan Sugar brands BBC reporter 'gutter journalist' and storms out of interview after he's asked if he is 'frank to the point of bullying'

• Interview to celebrate 10th anniversary of TV show The Apprentice
• Radio 4 reporter suggests the businessman appears to bully contestants
• The mogul then reacted furiously, branding the claims 'gutter journalism'
• After a short rant at the radio reporter, Sir Alan said 'I'm off' and left

By Richard Spillett for MailOnline

Sir Alan Sugar stormed out of his own boardroom and accused a BBC Radio 4 reporter of 'gutter journalism' after he was questioned about being a bully.

The frosty exchange between Lord Sugar and Today Programme business reporter Justin Rowlatt left listeners stunned during an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of The Apprentice.

The BBC had been invited to question Lord Sugar at his Essex HQ but minutes into the interview the tycoon accused Rowlatt of being a 'gutter journalist' and 'picking up c**p'.

Sir Alan Sugar reacted angrily when BBC reporter Justin Rowlatt suggested he bullied Apprentice contestants

Mr Rowlatt, 48, asked Sir Alan: 'Do you think there's an issue for you personally because you've got reputation of being, you know frank speaking, to the point of, and accusations have been made a number of times, to the point of being bullying?'

Sir Alan, 67, replied: 'Do you know I've got hundreds and hundreds of employees here who work for me because they enjoy working for me.

'We don't bully people here it's as simple as that. I'm not getting involved in discussing that with you.'

In an attempt to rescue the interview, which was printed in the Radio Times, Mr Rowlatt said: 'That's fair enough but the point I'm trying to get across is do you think it's difficult, because you speak your mind and that's the most impressive thing.'

Interrupting the reporter, Sir Alan said: 'It's not bullying if you speak you're mind is it.'

Mr Rowlatt then attempted to laugh it off, saying: 'Well not necessarily but some people may interpret it that way.'

But Lord Sugar replied: 'Well that's their problem. I don't flower my words and if I think someone is useless I'll tell them but if I think someone has done a good job I'll also tell them.'

Mr Rowlatt went on: 'For me one of the impressive things about the programme is in the boardroom and it's your ability to cut through the nonsense and see the real character of people.'

Lord Sugar replied: 'That's not bullying, that's just cutting through the nonsense as you put it.'

He then told the reporter: 'If we can just get off that subject, I'm really insulted by that really.

'You're a gutter journalist picking up that c**p.'

The interview continued until for a few more moments until Sir Alan said: 'I'm off.'

Earlier Lord Sugar also lived up to his grumpy image by criticising the 'claim culture' in British business.

When asked how being a boss had changed over the last decade, he said: 'Work, rules and regulations, health and safety, the claims culture of people who have worked out there are ways and means of claiming benefits or claiming benefits from employers.

'That is the thing that upsets me and what's changed. There are not enough honest, genuine people around.'

Listeners gave a mixed reaction to the interview yesterday.

John Wilcox, 34, of Solihull, West Midlands, said: 'To be honest, it was great radio. Good on Justin Rowlatt for turning what could have been a fluffy piece into something entertaining.

'If anyone came out of that looking bad it was Alan Sugar.

'Short of telling Justin "you're fired" he sounded like he threw a tantrum because someone suggested he might come across as a bully.'

Meanwhile mum-of-two Janet Fenton, 45, of Ledbury, Herefordshire said: 'I personally think Alan Sugar has contributed a great deal to Britain and I thought the line of questioning was a bit off.

'It was a cheap shot to bring up bullying and I was impressed with the way he handled the reporter whose style of laughing through the questions was irritating in the extreme.

'I would have hoped for a bit more professionalism from the Today programme.'

Rowlatt, who calls himself @ethicalman on Twitter, uploaded the interview for his 5,888 followers minutes after the interview was broadcast.

[charmbrights]

I wonder how much the BBC pays this "successful businessman" to appear on The Apprentice"?

Is he so hard up that he needs the money, or is the fee offered so high that even he cannot refuse it?

[Teddy Bear]

Clearly worth his while. Note too that Donald Trump does a similar show in the States and he's hardly short of money.