Contestants on the popular The Apprentice show could find a way to make Bob Geldof’s dream come true – by making Margate more appealing.
And with two Kent contestants in the show, it could be that some inside knowledge will help them win.
It has been leaked that one of the tasks to be set by electronics millionaire Sir Alan Sugar will be to rebrand the seaside town that Live Aid hero Geldof once called “ugly”.
The town was highly popular with holidaymakers pouring in from London – but that was 250 years ago.
Now with Dreamland a ruin, and the world famous Grade-II listed Scenic Railway, the second oldest in the world, a charred wreck from a fire last year, many will admit Margate has seen better days.
But Thanet Council has recently revealed Dreamland and the coaster could once again rise from the ashes as a retro heritage fairground.
There are also high hopes Turner Contemporary will draw art lovers to the town when work on the gallery is finished.
The fifth series of The Apprentice hits BBC screens on March 25 with an all-new line up of would-be business experts hoping to land a job with Sir Alan on a six-figure salary.
Week after week, the tyrannical acid-tongued boss sets two teams the same task to make him money, and one member of the losing team is then ceremoniously told “You’re fired” and sent packing.
Sir Alan told a national newspaper: “As we go through the series you will see some shows which are specifically attuned towards recognition of what difficult times we are in.
“People are considering whether to go on holiday, so there was a good opportunity to reinvent one of our ramshackle old seaside towns, so one of our tasks is about that.”
A source on the programme told a national newspaper: “Hopefully, some ideas the teams come up with will be used to help give Margate a lift."
One possible team leader for the task from the new 15-strong line up could be Lorraine Tighe, 36, who is from Kent.
She has a NHC in business studies and is a national accounts manager.
A mother-of-two, Lorraine was born in London and left school at 16. Since then she has gone on to be the top sales person in every company she has ever worked for.
She admits to very little formal education and has endured many trials and tribulations throughout her life. She sums up her attitude to business as the ability to drive a dead horse to the winning line.
Lorraine said: “I've fought against all the odds. I'm a single mum with no education and I've had a very hard time. It is tough, but to have the confidence I have I should be very proud of myself.”
The other Kent contestant is Mona Lewis, 28, from Sittingbourne, who has A levels and is a senior business manager.
Born in Karachi, the former Tanzanian beauty-queen and self-confessed stubborn mother-of-one, Mona said she would love to have been the brains behind Tesco.
She sees herself as shrewd and honest in business and believes that personal emotions should never interfere with decision making.
Describing herself as an open-minded decision maker, Mona chose to apply for The Apprentice as a result of her desire to step out of her comfort zone and change the lives of herself and her son.
She said: “I knew I would be selected, not to sound big-headed... I've succeeded in the companies I've worked for because I work hard and I'm honest.”
Margate has been having a tough time of its own after the number of tourists slowly declined since its heyday two centuries ago.
Sir Bob Geldof ruffled feathers when he branded Margate "ugly" and "scruffy."
Writing in a Kent County Council newspaper, he said: “It's a mad mystery, the battle of the ugliness of Margate against the charm of the beaches."
He also slammed Kent as a whole saying: "I know it's a bit scruffy and worn at the edges and some of its ugliness is inexcusable, but some of it is cute and some of it is so sublimely beautiful it's ridiculous."
But the Boomtown Rat made it up to Margate by turning on the town’s festive lights last Chrtistmas
Margate’s run of bad luck continued when its Victorian pier burned down in 1978 and was the venue of some violent mods and skinheads brawls during the 80s. Fire also destroyed one of the many arcades on the seafront.
But shots of the town were used the Only Fools and Horses TV series, and it is set to be home to the Turner Contemporary gallery. Controversial artist Tracey Emin grew up in the town.
North Thanet MP Roger Gale said: “Mr Geldof’s comments were made a while ago and that he has since said some rather kinder things about Margate!”
Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Sandy Ezekiel, said: "We'd be delighted to see Margate featuring on the Apprentice, as it would be excellent national publicity for the area.
“We are all aware that the town is currently going through major changes.
"The council's vision predicts a radical change for Margate, building on the success of Turner Contemporary, with more creative businesses coming to the town.
"Obviously, as part of those regeneration plans, Margate will need to undergo re-branding to increase its appeal to an even wider selection of visitors."
POSTED: 21/03/2009 16:00:00
Bookmark with:
Email to a friend: