For 12 of the very best sales assistants from around the country it's time to face the judges in a luxury five-star hotel. There they will spend a punishing 12 hours being put through four demanding rounds, where their technical knowledge, industry insight and customer care will be under the spotlight.

From the Three store in Lewisham, Kiet and Ayyub - who joined on a scheme designed to help young people onto the career ladder - face determined Hungarian-born immigrant Roland Ratvai, who is desperate to better his life for him and his family. They all face EE's returning star Gemma, who made it to the top three in Shop Idol 2014.

It's a gruelling day of tests, which includes technical product quizzes and the mysterious mystery bag. The contenders come face to face for the first time with the judges - tech expert and consumer champion Sunetra Chakravartri, millionaire sales expert Mike Dalloz, and former contestant and journalist Christian Azolan. The Lewisham lads respond to the heats of the rounds in an unexpected way, and there is not a dry eye in the house as we hear why they want to be Shop Idol so much. Out of the 12 sales associates, only four of them will make it through to the grand final. Show less