Oliver Nohl-Oser was left with a bad taste in his mouth after becoming the third candidate to be fired by Lord Sugar in The Apprentice.

But the upbeat businessman said he “must congratulate” himself for landing a spot on the BBC programme regardless, which sees budding candidates vie for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment in their business plans.

Oliver Nohl-Oser
Oliver Nohl-Oser is out of The Apprentice after being fired in the third task (BBC/Boundless/Screengrab)

The founder and director of a sausage company fell foul in a food-based task after being elected project manager for Team Nebula by Lord Sugar when he mixed up the single-sex teams.

Lord Sugar asked the candidates to manufacture sweets and sell them to trade and the public in Brighton.

Oliver struggled to make decisions when it came to the pricing strategy and Lord Sugar also did not fancy his choice to produce salt and vinegar fudge.

The Apprentice
Oliver on a bike trying to sell sweets during the task (BBC/Screen Grab)

The businessman, who has previously said his greatest business skills lie in his marketing ability and his powers of persuasion, was often challenged by members of his team and he also had issues with the creation of the goods in the kitchen.

After pitching to trade and selling to punters in the East Sussex town, Nebula made a total profit of £615.08 while Titan, who produced cappuccino and strawberry champagne-flavoured sweets, made £785.66.

Oliver opted to bring Paul Sullivan and Mukai Noiri back into the boardroom with him to face Lord Sugar in the showdown.

The Apprentice
Titan project manager Alana Spencer making the team’s sweets (BBC/Screengrab)

Lord Sugar was unimpressed with their efforts, telling Paul that his aides Karren Brady and Claude Littner “put the alarm bells up as far as I’m concerned in that they think you’ve gone into a kind of despondency, but I’ve got no time for people like that”.

He told Mukai: “You’ve got an explanation for everything but when you kind of add it all up, it doesn’t add up to a row of beans, really to be honest.”

But he finally aimed his firing finger at project manager Oliver, admitting he was “confused” over why he failed miserably.

The Apprentice
Team Titan on the beach selling their sweets (BBC/Screengrab)

Lord Sugar said: “Oliver, your best hope for £250,000 is to buy yourself a scratch card… You’re fired.”

Oliver admitted to the Press Association that he “got flustered” and that “with a lot thrown at me I slightly began to panic”.

He stressed that despite losing the task with lower profits than rivals Team Titan – led by Alana Spencer, also chosen by Lord Sugar – they “had the lowest cost of production” and that “we made a profit”.

Lord Sugar
Lord Sugar was not impressed with Team Nebula (BBC/Boundless)

For all of his failings in the task, Oliver does think he is a natural leader.

He said: “Maybe not with other people, though, because there will always be crossed wires. But in my own industry, yes.”

Following his departure, he added: “I couldn’t be more motivated and determined to go full steam ahead with my business plan.”

Oliver Nohl-Oser
Oliver Nohl-Oser (BBC/Boundless)

He hopes to license his food companies further afield and will press ahead despite not having won Lord Sugar’s investment.

He added: “I’m really in a good place. Of course it would have been nice to get to the final, but just being on the show, I really must congratulate myself for getting on with the thousands of people who apply.”

The Apprentice continues next Thursday at 9pm on BBC One.