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Dragons' Den (British TV Programme)
''Dragons' Den'' is a British reality television business programme, presented by Evan Davis and based upon the original Japanese series. The show allows several entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their varying business ideas to a panel of five wealthy investors, the "Dragons" of the show's title, and pitch for financial investment while offering a stake of the company in return. The first episode was broadcast on BBC Two on 4 January 2005. After 16 series on the channel, the show has been broadcast on BBC One since 2021. Reruns of previous episodes are still broadcast on BBC Two. The programme is produced by BBC Studios Factual Entertainment Productions and co-produced with Sony Pictures Television International, the owners of the format that is distributed worldwide. The show was also broadcast by UKTV channel Dave during the daytime and late nights between 2007 and 2013. Programme Format Applicants can apply to appear on the show through the BBC website; however, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reality Television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s with shows such as ''The Real World (TV series), The Real World'', then achieved prominence in the early 2000s with the success of the series ''Survivor (franchise), Survivor'', ''Idol (franchise), Idol'', and ''Big Brother (franchise), Big Brother'', all of which became global Franchising, franchises. Reality television shows tend to be interspersed with "confessionals", short interview segments in which cast members reflect on or provide context for the events being depicted on-screen; this is most commonly seen in American reality television. Competition-based reality shows typically feature the gradual elimination of participants, either by a panel of judges, by the viewership of the show, or by the contestants themselves. Documentary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simon Woodroffe
Simon Woodroffe (born 14 February 1952) is a British entrepreneur and business speaker, known as the founder of YO! Sushi and Yotel. He appeared as an investor on the first series of BBC's '' Dragons' Den''. Woodroffe's first YO! Sushi restaurant, opened in 1997, introduced conveyor belt sushi to the UK market and included technology such as automated drink delivery systems, tableside call buttons, and self-heating plates. Woodroffe was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire ( OBE) in 2006 for his contributions to the hospitality industry. Early life and education Woodroffe was born in Oxford to a military family; his father served as a brigadier in the British Army. He grew up with his younger brother Patrick (born 1954) in Essex, where the family resided in a farmhouse. Woodroffe attended Marlborough College but left at age 16 with only two O-levels. Career After leaving school, Woodroffe started his career as a theatre stagehand. In the 1960s, he be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sara Davies
Sara Davies (born 23 April 1984) is a British businesswoman, entrepreneur, and television personality. She is the founder and owner of Crafter's Companion, a company she started while a student at the University of York. In April 2019 it was announced that she would join the panel of the BBC television programme '' Dragons' Den'' for its seventeenth series, replacing Jenny Campbell who decided to leave the programme in early 2019. In 2021, Davies was appointed the North East Ambassador for Smart Works Newcastle, a charity supporting unemployed women into work through clothing and coaching. In July 2024, Davies was appointed Chief Inspiration Officer for Avon UK. Early life Davies was born in Coundon, County Durham, England, in 1984. She has a sister. She graduated from the University of York with a first class Business degree in 2006. She was a member of Derwent College. Career Davies founded Crafter's Companion, a crafter's supply company, whilst at university in 2005. D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville (born 18 February 1975) is an English football pundit, former coach and player, and co-owner of English Football League club Salford City. As a player, Neville was a right-back and spent his entire career with Manchester United, serving as club captain for five years. He is one of the most decorated English and European footballers of all time, having won a total of 20 trophies, including eight Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. Neville made his international debut for England in 1995 and was first-choice right-back for more than 10 years, representing the nation at three European Championships and two FIFA World Cups. After retiring from football in 2011, Neville went into punditry and was a commentator for Sky Sports, until he took over the head coach position at Valencia in 2015. After being sacked by the club in 2016, he returned to his position as a pundit for Sky Sports later that year. He was also an assistant manager ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tej Lalvani
Tej Lalvani (born 13 July 1974) is a British businessman and the CEO of the UK's largest vitamin company Vitabiotics, founded by his father Kartar Lalvani. He is best known for being one of the "Dragons" on the BBC television series '' Dragons' Den'' from 2017 to 2021. Early life and business career Lalvani grew up in Bangalore, Karnataka, Southern India, and spent his childhood between India and the United Kingdom before settling in London when he was 16. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Westminster Business School at the University of Westminster in 1996, and started his career working in the warehouse of his father's company Vitabiotics, before succeeding him as CEO. Along with his wife, Lalvani runs a property investment business in London. In 2012, Lalvani was named Young Entrepreneur at the Asian Business Awards as well as Young Entrepreneur of the Year by TiE in 2013. In October 2017, he ranked at number 48 on the GG2 Power List of the most influential ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jenny Campbell
Jennifer Bernice Campbell (' Sproson; born 5 October 1961) is a British entrepreneur. She bought YourCash Europe Ltd from RBS in 2010. She was a "Dragon" in Series 15 and 16 of the UK's '' Dragons' Den'', between 2017 – 2019. In 2010, Campbell bought Hanco ATM systems from the Royal Bank of Scotland and subsequently renamed the business as YourCash. YourCash is an independent automated teller machine (ATM) provider with operations in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. Campbell sold the business in 2016. Before YourCash acquisition, she had worked with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group for 32 years in various roles, including sales, operational, change, risk and management. Career Campbell left school at 16 to join NatWest as a cash-counter and cash point filler. She attended a night school to study banking and then got a job in NatWest's head office in London. Following the RBS takeover of NatWest in 2000, Campbell was given a senior role in the operational ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nick Jenkins
Nicholas David Jenkins (born 13 May 1967) is a British businessman, best known for founding the online greeting card retailer Moonpig.com, then as a "dragon" for the BBC Two TV business series '' Dragons' Den'' in the thirteenth and fourteenth series. Biography Born at Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, Jenkins was educated at Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School, before going up to Birmingham University. He pursued further studies at Cranfield University, graduating as MBA. Jenkins launched the greeting card business Moonpig in 2000; 'Moonpig' alluding to his nickname at school, hence the name of the brand. In 2011, he sold Moonpig for an estimated £120 million. Since 2008, Jenkins has been investing in start-up businesses. He was a member of the Impact Ventures UK investment committee – an investment fund which invests in social enterprises using innovation to find better solutions to social issues in the UK. He is also involved with the educational charity ''ARK and Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sarah Willingham
Sarah Louise Willingham (born 20 December 1973) is a British entrepreneur, serial investor, founder and CEO of Nightcap, with extensive experience in the hospitality industry. Education Willingham has two business degrees from Oxford Brookes University and the . In 2004 she completed an MBA at the Cranfield University School of Management. Willingham attended Newcastle-under-Lyme School during high school located in her home town of Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire. Career Businesses Willingham spent the early years of her career managing some restaurants including Chessageed Delights, Planet Hollywood and Pizza Express. In partnership with The Clapham House Group, she bought The Bombay Bicycle Club in 2004, and expanded the company, making it the largest Indian restaurant chain in the United Kingdom. Willingham sold her share back to The Clapham House Group in 2007 where she continued as a main board director responsible for three of their four brands (Tootsies, T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piers Linney
Jonathan Piers Daniel Linney (born 15 February 1971) is a British businessman and investor. Co-Founder of Implement AI He was a former non-executive director of the UK government-owned development bank, British Business Bank, which has facilitated over £12 billion of financing for UK small and medium-sized businesses and also operated the StartUp Loan Company and British Patient Capital, a £2.5bn fund launched in 2018. He was the co-CEO and owner of Genesis Communications and was the co-CEO of cloud-based IT business Outsourcery. He is best known for taking part on the BBC Two business series '' Dragons' Den'' from 2013 to 2015. Linney also appeared on the Channel 4 series '' The Secret Millionaire'' in 2011, where he worked in Wolverhampton at a young offenders' institution. In November 2018, he was named in the top 20 of Financial Times's list of the top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology. He was also named in the FT as one of the top 100 BAME Leaders in Tech. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kelly Hoppen
Kelly Elaine Hoppen (born 28 July 1959) is a South African-born British interior designer, author, and proprietor of Kelly Hoppen Interiors. From 2013 to 2015, she was a "Dragon" on BBC Two's '' Dragons' Den''. Family Kelly Hoppen was born on 28 July 1959 in Cape Town, South Africa. Her mother Stephanie Hoppen (née Shub) is of Estonian-Jewish ancestry and her father Seymour Hoppen who was a member of the Weinstock family from Dublin, is of Irish-Jewish ancestry. When Hoppen was two, her family relocated to London. Hoppen briefly returned to South Africa when her father died. During her return to South Africa, she played in a rock band and was arrested and imprisoned for violating apartheid laws by mixing with black musicians. Career Hoppen began her career at 16 when she quit school and took on her first project designing a family friend's kitchen. Her next big project came in the way of designing the racing driver Damien Hunt’s house which led her to work with other ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hilary Devey
Hilary Lorraine Devey CBE ( Brewster; 10 March 1957 – 11 June 2022) was an English businesswoman and television personality best known for her role on the BBC Two programme '' Dragons' Den'' until she left to present the Channel 4 series ''The Intern''. Early life Devey was born Hilary Lorraine Brewster on 10 March 1957, in Bolton, Lancashire. As a seven-year-old child, she witnessed the results of the bankruptcy of her father, who had owned a central heating company, when bailiffs removed furniture and household goods from the family home. Her father then earned a living managing pubs and hotels. She left school at the age of sixteen, and served for a short while in the Women's Royal Air Force, in air traffic control and the supply accounts department; she was stationed at RAF Brize Norton. Devey later moved to London. Career Business Devey made her fortune launching Pall-Ex, a palletised freight network. Launched in 1996, Pall-Ex was the third palletised goods distr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Caan (businessman)
James Caan (born Nazim Khan; 28 December 1960) is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality. He was an investor on the BBC television programme '' Dragons' Den'', in which he was one of the Dragons from 2007 to 2010. More recently, he has hosted ''The Business Class'' on CNBC, a series which sees him joined by experts from a cross-section of industries to analyse and advise innovative UK small and medium enterprises. He is also Chairman of the UK Government's Start Up Loans Scheme. Caan founded the recruitment company Alexander Mann in 1985, which he sold in 2002. In 1993, he co-founded the executive head-hunting firm Humana International, and sold his stake in 1999. He is also the founder and CEO of the UK-based private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw. Early life and education Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Caan's family emigrated to the United Kingdom when he was two years old. Caan's father had intended for his son to join the family business but Caan left hom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
