The Apprentice app episode didn't appeal to Apple

Did you watch The Apprentice last night? There's a question we'd never thought we'd ask here in Crave, but in last night's episode of the BBC business reality show, Lord Suralan Sugar's latest batch of horrendously deluded egos in suits entered the technology arena by creating a mobile app -- in 24 hours. But even Britain's biggest bolshie boardroom businessmouth can't get an app past Apple's infamous approval process.

Apple's notoriously exacting approval process ensures all iPhone and iPad apps in the iTunes App Store meet the demanding standards set by Steve Jobs. But it also means apps can take a while to be approved -- and Jobs' mob were having none of the programme's overnight deadline.

While Nokia's Ovi Store and BlackBerry App World helped fast-track the competing apps and Google's Android Market allows for apps to be quickly posted anyway, Apple declined to be involved with a polite one-line email, according to Pocket-Lint.

The competing apps were built in less than a day by Grapple, a London and New York-based software company. In between bickering and vying to wear the shirts with the biggest collars, the boys and girls teams competed to come up with the worst possible apps. The results are Slangatang and Ampi App, two very annoying soundboards that were available for download for one day back in October. The winner was the team that secured the most downloads.

Of course, what they should have done was check out our guide to how to make an iPhone app or die trying.

Expert opinions on the competing apps are offered by the editors of TechCrunch, Pocket-Lint and Wired -- including Nate Lanxon and Michael Parsons, both familiar to long-time Crave readers as former scions of CNET Towers.

The app episode of The Apprentice is on iPlayer right now. Keep it Crave for the latest and most exciting apps.