WHEN the Herts Advertiser’s editor sparked a grammar debate with Apprentice finalist Luisa Zissman on Twitter, little did he know the exchange would end up making the national news.

But a day after Matt Adams questioned the entrepreneur’s decision to cut the apostrophe from the name of her new business venture Bakers Toolkit (sic) the tweets went viral, popping up on the Daily Mail’s and The Telegraph’s website.

Luisa, owner of Dixie’s Cupcakery in St Albans, posted last week: “Very split opinion now on apostrophe it’s not a particular toolkit for one baker – so that would make it bakers’? I like the look of bakers.”

The question caused a frenzy on the social media site and prompted many grammar enthusiasts to voice their opinion, with Matt at the helm: “Nope. If it’s one baker, it should be Baker’s Toolkit. If it’s more than one baker, it’s Bakers’ Toolkit. Sorry! :).”

He added: “You can’t change English grammar even if it does look better on logos!”

The 25-year-old reality TV star went on to appear on Saturday morning’s BBC Breakfast News as well as BBC Radio 5 live to discuss what she dubbed ‘apostrophe-gate’.

Speaking on the radio show Luisa, who admitted she got an A in English at school, said: “I’ve ditched the apostrophe. You look at the big brand names; Waterstones famously ditched their apostrophe back in 2012.

“I think in this instance it’s about a brand, it’s about marketing, it’s about the look and a feel of a brand and I just don’t think it’s necessary. I really don’t know what the big hoo-hah is.”

Herts Ad editor Matt Adams added: “It was just a harmless conversation about the technicalities of grammar.

“As a journalist I’m a big stickler for the correct use of the apostrophe, but I certainly didn’t expect our debate to go national – it’s definitely the silly season for news!”

Writing in The Telegraph letters pages on Saturday, St Albans resident John Hayward pointed out: “Luisa Zissman is in good company in omitting the apostrophe in her Bakers Toolkit company name – just as in Lloyds Bank, Kings Cross, the Champions League or even her home town, St Albans.”