"Jana actively contributed and voiced his opinions."
Harpreet Kaur, winner of The Apprentice 2022, has reacted to Dr Jana Denzel’s sudden exit in the latest series.
Task five saw the dentist become project manager to create and market a new Easter egg.
Although the egg’s taste was praised, the decoration was not.
Ultimately his side lost the task but in the boardroom, Jana Denzel caused a shock when he announced he would no longer take part in the process.
Jana later revealed that his decision to leave was down to one of Lord Sugar’s comments.
Former winner Harpreet Kaur, who is currently working with Sky Vegas, reacted to Jana’s exit and exclusively told DESIblitz:
“I’m sure Dr Jana had his own reasons [for deciding to leave].
“Lord Sugar mentioned that he found Jana to be quite reserved, but from a viewer’s perspective, I actually felt he contributed more than some of the other candidates.
“He was negotiating and expressing his opinions, but ultimately, Lord Sugar isn’t present during the tasks – he can only base his decisions on what he hears, which often highlights those who are more vocal and assertive.
“In the end, Jana acknowledged that the competition might not be the right fit for him and that other candidates may have wanted it more.
“We have to respect his decision.”
Watching his performance in the tasks, Harpreet believed Jana Denzel put on a strong display:
“I thought Dr Jana had done well. There are other candidates who seemed to be staying in the background, whereas Jana actively contributed and voiced his opinions.
“He comes across as a really nice guy and has represented his community well.
“Perhaps the show simply has bigger personalities that stand out more.
“It’s a high-pressure environment, but he always appeared polite, pleasant, and a real team player.
“I didn’t see anything negative about him, but as viewers, we only get to see an hour of the process – there’s so much more happening behind the scenes.”
After Jana’s exit, Lord Sugar did not fire anyone because the failure of the task was down to the cosmetic dentist, feeling he would have “lost credibility” if he sent a candidate home.
Agreeing with Lord Sugar’s take, Harpreet said it was a “fair call”.
She elaborated: “Jana was the one who decided the vision for the egg, so I feel like a lot of the execution responsibility lays with him.
“They would have lost the task, and he would’ve probably been sent home if he hadn’t walked away himself.
“I don’t think the failure of the task could have been pinned on anyone else – it wasn’t just about some shoddy decoration on the egg.
“Personally, I didn’t think the egg was that bad; I’d still eat it!
“But there are definitely a few people who need to step forward and show what they can bring to the table.”
On whether his exit would affect his business, Harpreet feels Jana’s time on The Apprentice will be a benefit.
“If he’s strategic, he can use this exposure to his advantage and leverage the attention for his business.
“I can’t imagine anyone deciding not to get their teeth done by him just because of how he left a competition!
I’m sure it hasn’t affected his work – if anything, it might have given him the chance to focus on what he does best, rather than something that didn’t feel right for him.
“Hopefully, it just brings more visibility to him.”
Amber-Rose Badrudin and Anisa Khan are the remaining two South Asian candidates and having watched them in the various tasks, Harpreet is impressed.
“Anisa is amazing – I’m really impressed by her. She keeps pushing forward, and I thought her ideas for the Easter egg were great.
“Maybe the execution wasn’t perfect – we’re not all expert decorators – but her vision made a lot of sense.
“She wanted to go for a luxury approach, and given her experience in the food industry, I think her direction was worth listening to.
“She’s probably my favourite at the moment because she’s not afraid to take risks and hold herself accountable. She definitely doesn’t shy away.
“Amber-Rose is also doing a fantastic job. She’s an active team player who pushes herself forward and gives her best.
“Neither of them are hiding in the background, and I’m really impressed by both.”
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