Steve Braunias: Terrible ideas and boundless energy save The Apprentice 17 May, 2021 09:30 AM 3 minutes to read Mike Pero is the CEO of The Apprentice Aotearoa. Video / TVNZ OPINION: Love is after hours, work is 24/7. A startling difference between desperate dating show The Bachelor (and The Bachelorette) and desperate wealth creation show The Apprentice is that the desperation to make money is a lot more serious. Tonight's episode saw the apprentices and apprenticettes go at it with real commitment to the ideals of late-period capitalism, and it provided fabulous entertainment. But even fabulous entertainment needs to bring it down a little bit. Shakespeare created scenes of exquisite boredom to lull his audience before shocking them with executions, wailings, and acts of madness. Mike Pero brings it down more than a little bit as host of The Apprentice. He makes every effort to talk and breathe at the same time, but fails the test, and puts in a performance so wooden that you start looking at his face for signs of borer.