Wa'hoo - Paula's finally out of the blocks, out of the shadows and starting to get into the spotlight. While last night's episode suggested she was in for an inauspicious day - Paula began as the dutiful whiteboard scribe for autocratic restaurant-owner Yasmina who was barking herself hoarse about winning the sandwich-making task - she finished with authority and aplomb, turning what could have been a bad night into a... not so bad night.

Because last week's failure to control costs meant the girls were first to fail, this week team leader Yasmina was on a mission to buy up the cheapest ingredients and eke them out as much as possible. Cue Paula, happy to suggest frozen chicken breasts as being cheap as chips. But, while she was happy enough to go along with the ruse at first (remember, only two pieces of feta allowed per wrap!) she was the only one to raise concerns that these miserly portions could potentially bite back. In the meantime she skilfully managed the ire of hungry office workers, flabbergasted at their sarnies' "lack of innards" and even dodged a "this is a hair" (probably hers) complaint from one irked customer. But it was at the evening reception, where canapés were being prepared for VIPs, that she finally spoke out. "These look like they have come from a funeral at a working man's club," she exclaimed about a shabby plate of bruschetta.

Applause-hungry Yasmina had left Paula and one other of her team mates in the kitchen to polish these turds and, unbelievably, Paula managed to make Yasmina's disgusting, sloppy pap look half decent. Back in the boardroom, the girls won (down to ruthless cost-cutting, not because their food was actually edible), so Paula is spared any risky boardroom antics. But we're still not sure if Paula's all smiles in the boardroom and is keeping her light under a bushel. When asked if Yasmina was a good leader, it was nods all round, including from Paula. Previous winners would have piped up at this point and showed their mettle. Paula seems content to save her battles for later but Sir Alan doesn't like those who lie low. He'll want to see more of her, and soon, before it gets too late.

But can Paula win the competition? We asked some industry experts what they think...

[Images provided courtesy of the BBC]