The Apprentice: Bognor's Phil Turner is definite underdog as series final approaches, oddsmakers say

Instead, it’s Phil’s rival Rachel Woolford expected to impress Lord Sugar later this week. A boutique fitness owner from Leeds, Rachel had much more success during the show’s 11 challenges than Phil, who found himself on the losing team nine times.

Oddsmakers from OLBG, who have analysed the final for entertainment purposes, say Woodford has a 60 per cent probability of winning the show, especially after rival Flo Edwards was removed during last week’s episode, during which all three candidates were grilled by a characteristically no-nonsense Alan Sugar.

Unimpressed by her lack of a feasible pre-existing business, Sugar told Flo she had underestimated the difficulty of starting from scratch.

Similar odds have been released by AI powered predictions service BetIdeas, which has Rachel as a 8/11 favourite to win this year’s series.

Lee Astley, a spokesperson for the company, said: “Sussex-based Phil Turner has it all to do in Thursday's final of The Apprentice to become Lord Sugar's next business partner, having lost nine of the 10 challenges he's come up against so far in the competition.

"Phil Turner is the 11/10 outsider in the market behind the fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford from Leeds, who has been one of the standout candidates in this year's competition."

Still, it won’t be the first time Phil Turner has faced down unfavourable odds. He was singled out as a favourite for elimination on several occasions throughout the process, with oddsmakers pointing to his losing record and patchy performances as reasons to fire him. For all that, though, he’s still here, in the final, with a very real chance to take home the gold.

Watch this week’s episode of The Apprentice on BBC One this Thursday at 9pm, or catch it on BBC IPlayer any time afterwards.