They call it "jumping the shark" in the TV business. This is when a hit programme starts to lose its way – the phrase comes from an episode of Happy Days where the Fonz, in leather jacket and trunks, leapt over a shark on water skis. Critics said the show was never the same again.

Well, I think The Apprentice may have hopped in that direction last night when Sir Alan packed his teams off to devise new bodycare products. I'm not saying the show is in a rut but I couldn't help feeling that when one of the teams went to sell their cobbled-together lotions and potions they did it in the same W11 spot near to the same hot dog van that another team tried desperately to hire out luxury sports cars a few years ago. 

There was a distinct feeling that scenes were set up for televisual effect. When the teams chose to put seaweed and honey in their products it meant a boat trip round Poole harbour and a visit to a hive. If they'd opted for apples and pears it would not have been quite so telegenic.

The real problem, however, came out of a bottle. Paula's team got their prices of sandalwood and cedarwood muddled up and Paula  "shall I put a fiver for that?" – and her gang were doomed. It was such a costly error (instantly around £500 over budget) Nick even had to step in and point it out – when it was too late to change it of course.

Yet it did look briefly as if they might snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Out on London's trendiest streets they sold like their lives depended on it, while the other team struggled and ended up virtually giving their stock away to bag ladies and Big Issue sellers at Camden Lock.

Oh, if I haven't mentioned the other team it is because they were led by such an ineffectual leader they were often invisible. Noorul barely spoke, instead he wandered around with a look of fear in his eyes. But then if I had his product I'd be terrified too. His honey-filled soap looked more like a giant oozing, suppurating sore. When he hit the streets in a beekeeper's outfit to sell it it looked as if he was wearing a radiation protection suit and was demonstrating the after-effects of Chernobyl. No wonder no-one was buying.

Thanks to Paula's cedarwood-perfumed cock-up, however, Noorul's team won the task. In the boardroom blame-game it was dog-eat-dog and private sector hounds Ben and Yasmina tore public sector Paula apart. Despite having a lot of good ideas Paula got the boot. Ironic as footwear may be crucial here. As she left for her cab of death I think I spotted the reason why she didn't last. She was wearing clumpy shoes. You've got to wear stilettos in the world of The Apprentice. And that goes for the men too.