The Apprentice double exit sees Shannon Martin quit and Kevin D'Arcy fired trends now

Thursday's episode of The Apprentice saw a shocking double departure, as Shannon Martin decided to leave the process before the results of the latest challenge.

The bridal boutique owner revealed that she opted to quit the show after deciding she 'loved' her business and 'doesn't need a partner,' despite the girls team winning this week's challenge.

Following her exit Kevin D'Arcy became the second candidate of the series to be fired by Lord Sugar, after being told that was 'more focused on revenue than profit' during the disastrous Bao Buns challenge.

This week's episode sees the remaining candidates tasked with creating and selling Bao Buns after meeting Lord Sugar in Hutong in The Shard. 

The candidates had to manufacture two types of bun - selling savoury bao buns to the public and pitching a bespoke sweet bun to a corporate client.

Shannon's exit came before the two teams headed into the boardroom to learn the results of the latest challenge.

Explaining her decision to quit the series, she said: 'I think that going into the process, I was already having some doubts of whether I should go in or not. 

'But when you're given such an amazing opportunity, you're not ever going to turn that down, it's an opportunity of a lifetime that I'm forever grateful for. 

'During the bao bun task, I was there in the kitchen thinking ''Why am I here? What am I doing here making bao buns in a kitchen when I can't cook as it is?''. 

'I just really felt like I couldn't focus on the tasks because I was constantly thinking about what was going on at home. What's happening with the business? Is everything okay? I knew in the back of my mind that of course everything would be okay, the team are amazing. 

'But I'm a perfectionist, I need to know what's going on all the time and not being able to know how things were going on at home or what was happening at work was really hard for me. 

'The unknown is definitely not something I'm good at. The more I thought about it, the more I thought, ''Am I in here for the right reasons? Do I really want a business partner? Is this what I want? Do I want my life to change?'' and it really made me realise I love my life; I love the team and I love everything about my life. 

'I knew that I could potentially win the show, and did I really want to win and have my life completely changed? No, I didn't. I wasn't in there for the right reasons. 

'The other candidates are just amazing and there's so many amazing businesses there that I felt that they deserve to win. I've already got a very successful business. I just felt that there were more deserving people there than me and it was not right for me to stay in the process.

'The experience has given me the confidence to know that I can do it on my own, and since leaving the process I've set up Nori Ivy and I am now designing and manufacturing bridal gowns in the UK.'

Despite quitting the series, Shannon admitted that taking part in The Apprentice was a 'lifelong goal' for her, explaining: 'I applied about 10 years ago when I first came up with my business plan idea. I went to the interviews and spoke to a lovely lady who said, ''you've got a really good business idea, but you're not right for us at this time, but you should come back.'' 

'She really spurred me on to open the business. The business got going and I've never really been able to step away from it until this last year where I watched the first two episodes and thought, you know what, I'm going to do this. 

'I'm not going to sit here and keep saying I'm going to apply, then not do it or I could do a better job and then not actually show that I could. I've always wanted to do it and it's been a whirlwind since the point of applying to actually getting in.'

Having become such a die-hard fan of the show, Shannon admitted that getting to meet Lord Sugar was a 'daunting' experience.

She said: 'I remember sitting in the waiting room when we first met everybody and thinking ''Gosh it's enough meeting everybody and seeing them all here. Now I've got to walk through that door and he's there.'' 

'I think I caught a glimpse of his shadow walking in at one point and I was like ''Oh my god, he's behind those doors!'' It's so surreal, you feel like you're inside the TV and I didn't dare speak. It's amazing being able to meet him.'

Asked who she would like to win the process, Shannon added: 'It's a hard one because there are a fair few people that I'd like to win, but if I have to pick one, I would pick Dani. 

'I just think that Dani's background, where she's come from, everything about Dani…I see Lord Sugar in her a lot of the time, and I do see a bit of me in her. 

'She's just so passionate about her business and I know she can do it if she absolutely focuses, and she will go all the way and do really well.'

The star also reflected on her favourite moments from the show, adding: 'There were quite a lot of memorable moments, I remember being on the plane to Antigua and I think we were sat behind Brad and Kevin. 

'They were playing Who Wants to be A Millionaire? and literally played it for eight hours solidly. 

'Honestly, we were all like ''Brad, just give it up!'' and he was like ''No, I'm not giving in'' and that's when I knew ''Ooh, you're one to watch because you're not giving in at this!'' He kept going and going and he couldn't win the £1 million. 

'Anyway, we kept chipping in and answering bits, then on the way back he sat down next to me, and Dani and he want ''I'm going to play Who Wants to be A Millionaire?'' and we said ''Oh, here we go. Another eight hours of this.'' 

'He put it on, he got through loads, we helped him with a load of questions. Got to the last question and got it right, the first time! He'd done eight hours on the way there!'

Shannon also gave fans a tease of her future business plans, adding: 'My business plan that I went on with was to design and manufacture wedding dresses, made in the UK. 

'There is bridalwear manufactured here, but not anywhere near as much as overseas, almost 80% of the dresses come from abroad. I have managed to set up 'Nori Ivy' on my own (named after my little girl) and we've found somebody to manufacture them in the UK, so Gaia Bridals in Wales are our manufacturers.

'Anna who has worked with me since day one is our designer and we've designed the collection together, had them made and they've just launched literally last week. It's fabulous!'

Following Shannon's departure, the two teams learned the results of their bao buns challenge, with Lord Sugar announcing that one of the boys team would be fired.

He then admitted that 'with regret' he had decided to fire Kevin, after he appeared to put more focus than revenue instead of profits.

Asked whether he has any regrets about his time on the process, Kevin said: 'I think I would have tried to put myself on the corporate team for the bao bun task, that’s where the ship sank, and I think those guys steered it straight for the iceberg. 

'I was fired because I wasn’t

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