CLAUDES' TRIBUTE BACKFIRES: Fans EXPLODE in Outrage!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Claude’s fans were quick to point this out online and tease The Apprentice legend about his mistake.
‘Why has it taken you 11 years?’ asked @Keith_Bredrin. ‘Yes, it was very sad, but he died in 2015, Claude,’ added @CiesseJay.
@michaelmcguk meanwhile was perhaps the most excoriating, saying: ‘Didn’t he die 11 years ago?? This is pretty poor, Claude. Delete it and save some face.’
It was @ChrisDodd12, however, who perhaps summed the situation up best when he chimed in with, ‘You’ve had a shocker here, Claude.’
To make matters worse, the tweet has since been marked with a Community Note that simply reads: ‘Stuart Baggs died in 2015.’
Since then, Claude has logged back in to X to defend himself from the trolls.
‘This comment was tagging on to Lord Sugar’s reminder of my interview with Stuart, with the current interviews being screened at 9 pm tomorrow,’ he tweeted.
His fans weren’t having the excuse, though.
@itsShawJ replied: ‘No, it wasn’t Claude. You’re smarter than using incorrect tenses for your statements. Just own up to it, and it’ll be forgotten.’
‘You said it was “news,” but it was news 11 years ago,’ added @WhitehurstMT.
@richbuck75 suggested that Claude ‘own the mistake’ although he used slightly coarser language.
Claude, however, remained steadfast that the tweet was in reference to a post made by Lord Sugar that also paid tribute to Stuart.
Yesterday, the business mogul tweeted: ‘Whenever it comes to Interviews week, my mind goes back to the dear departed Stuart Baggs – RIP. Such a great character on #TheApprentice.’
Stuart, who founded his broadband business when he was just 13, is something of a legend in The Apprentice fandom.
Known as Stuart Baggs ‘The Brand’ after he defiantly told Claude he was a brand in his own right, he was known for his enthusiasm and exuberance.
The would-be tycoon made it all the way to the semi-finals, where his hopes came crashing down during the interview process.
He was eventually fired by Lord Sugar, who told him he was ‘full of sh*t’ and he left the process.
Undeterred, he continued to run his business until he died in 2015 after suffering an asthma attack when he was just 27-years-old.
In a Facebook post from the time, his sister Charlotte wrote: ‘Today, my dearest brother Stuart Baggs gained his wings. To say we are all shocked and devastated is an understatement.
‘Love him or hate him, he touched many people’s lives from his TV antics to his amazing work with Bluewave Communications.”
‘He was the biggest character and will leave the biggest hole behind. Not knowing what or why makes it all the harder.
‘Can’t explain how proud I am of him. He was the king of following his dreams and making them happen.’
Metrohas reached out to Claude’s reps for comment.
The Apprentice interviews will air on BBC One and iPlayer tonight at 9pm.
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