Numbers game for Apprentice

With the credibility of its host under a cloud, TVNZ may be breathing a sigh of relief the first season of The Apprentice New Zealand is drawing to a close.

Over the 12 episodes so far, the Terry Serepisos-fronted show has lagged behind Coronation Street, its TV One competitor in the primetime Tuesday timeslot, and has struggled to stay on top of TV3's offering Target.

One of the few spikes in viewers was with the appearance of All Blacks Richie McCaw and Ali Williams. That episode attracted 445,950 viewers, a jump from the previous week's 296,270.

But a TVNZ spokeswoman said the show had rated consistently in the top 10 in TV2's target demographic, 18 to 39-year-olds.

The show's decreased ratings coincided with revelations Serepisos owed $2 million in rates to Wellington City Council.

This weekend, the cash-strapped tycoon's company, Century City, issued a statement saying he had "paid the majority of rates" and that all remaining rates would be paid in due course.