'Broken man' Ben survives... just

Ben hears no evil in the Apprentice boardroom

Ben was down to the final three in the Apprentice boardroom again

Belfast's wannabe Apprentice Ben Clarke has lived to fight another day, despite again being in the last three facing Sir Alan Sugar's boardroom wrath.

The 22-year-old was project manager of team Empire, which lost a task to sell bric-a-brac, making a £169 loss.

Sir Alan told him: "I'm worried you're a broken man because of your age, I'm worried you may have bitten off more than you can chew."

However, Sir Alan chose to fire colleague Noorul Choudhury instead.

"I don't know what you've been doing here and I think you have escaped the radar - you're fired," he told the science teacher.

No-one could accuse Ben of flying under the radar throughout the BBC One series so far, and he put in a typically bullish performance from the outset.

Nick: He'd lost all his fighting spirit. This was the chap that got a scholarship to Sandhurst for his leadership qualities
Margaret: He didn't actually go there though, did he?

As he was appointed project manager, he said: "I am a natural born leader - Sandhurst clearly saw that in me and that's why I got an Army scholarship.

"Under those situations where I am under extreme pressure, ie: heavy gunfire, explosions going off around me, people getting injured - that's when I can bring a team together, that's when I can lead."

However, when the less dangerous task of selling bric-a-brac began getting tough, the auctioneer's son appeared to panic, admitting it was "a horrible grotty task to get involved in as project manager - it's very difficult to sell stuff".

As the clock wore down, Ben began to get increasingly anxious about offloading items, leading Sir Alan's envoy Nick Hewer to observe: "I think it's time for Ben to get a grip on things."

In the end, Ben's team lost the task, selling items for £78 but making a loss of £242, which meant Team Empire were hauled before Sir Alan to justify themselves.

Watch: Ben's gameplan backfires

After telling his comrades outside, "I don't want everybody slating each other in the boardroom," he changed his tune in a piece to camera.

"Everybody knows I put up the biggest scrap in the boardroom - I've absolutely no problem doing that again today, and I've absolutely no intention of going home today," he said.

'Subdued'

But when it came to choosing two colleagues to join him in the final firing line, Ben panicked again when James reacted with amazement at being picked, and he changed his mind, bringing in Debra instead.

As the three waited outside, Nick told Sir Alan and fellow adviser Margaret Mountford that Ben had been subdued all day.

"It was a big surprise for me - he'd lost all his fighting spirit. This was the chap that got a scholarship to Sandhurst for his leadership qualities," he said.

Margaret drily noted: "He didn't actually go there though, did he?"

But the former professional Gavin Henson lookalike went on the offensive against his team mates when Sir Alan's verbal bullets began flying, with Noorul falling victim in the final reckoning.

It was undoubtedly another big test for the young Belfast man, which he passed, if not with flying colours.