Love's lost in boardroom

Couple Richard Henry and Nicky Clarke. Photo / Herald on Sunday

After Nicky Clarke's boyfriend was fired, she played a friendly game of golf with the bloke who sacked him.

Callous? Not in the world of The Apprentice New Zealand, where business is business and emotions are put aside for what's really important - winning.

But Richard Henry has no hard feelings - he and Clarke went into the show knowing their relationship would be put to the test.

"We knew they'd try to play us off against each other," says Clarke. "We went into this saying, 'No matter what happens, we're going to remember it's a game'."

The show sees 14 contestants fight to be chosen as Wellington property kingpin Terry Serepisos' right-hand man (or woman).

Clarke and Henry applied for fun. The producers didn't know they were a couple until after they had both been chosen as finalists.

Henry was relaxed about the impact on their relationship.

Clarke, who has her own PR and events management company, was a bit more worried.

"Whenever we'd go into a challenge I'd be thinking, 'How could this affect Rich?' But it's that old saying, whatever doesn't break you ..."

The pair were in opposing teams but went head-to-head for the first time last week when they were made project managers of their respective groups.

Clarke's team was in its element, while Henry's succumbed to infighting.

In the boardroom, 27-year-old Henry was accused of duplicity by Serepisos and his advisers.

Watching her boyfriend being slated was "really hard", says Clarke, 29.

"That was the episode I was most nervous about watching. I know Rich has the most integrity of any guy I've ever met - that's why I'm with him - and I didn't want to see him go out in a way that didn't show that."

But Serepisos directed those immortal words - "you're fired!" - in Henry's direction, ending his shot at winning the competition. Clarke and her team won a round of golf with the boss.

Two alternate endings have been shot so none of the contestants know who wins it. Six episodes are left to air.

The Apprentice screens on TV2 at 7.30pm on Tuesday.