Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne has reportedly offered Janet Devlin a record deal!
The Scottish millionaire is said to have been bowled over by the Northern Irish teenager on The X Factor and fell in love with her voice immediately. When she was eliminated from the ITV show at the weekend, insiders say he immediately decided to offer the talented teen a recording contract.
Duncan Bannatyne has admitted that his business career got off to a dangerous start, when he bought his first ice cream van for £450.
The Dragons’ Den star bought the mobile business in the 80s and went on to expand to a fleet of six, despite being threatened and attacked by rival confectionery sellers.
However it all worked out ok in the end and the man who is now a millionaire, sold the entire fleet when he discovered that his initial investment was worth £28,000.
The new series of Dragons’ Den continues with eight more intrepid entrepreneurs pitching to the multi-millionaire investors.
Londoners Krissy Sims and Kerry O’Brien, AKA DJ Trickles and Lady MC, enter the Den with a state-of-the-art turntable extravaganza in the back of their 4×4. The Dragons are often happy to demo a product but it’s the business and how it makes money that remains their ultimate concern.
Husband-and-wife team Liz and Alan Colleran from Dewsbury may be pitching their comfy caravan product, but will their Den experience be quite so luxurious and comfortable?
Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne was forced to delete some angry Twitter messages last night, in which he encouraged his followers to act violently.
After an anonymous user tried to scare the business guru by threatening his daughter, Duncan wrote on the micro blogging website:
“I offer £25,000 reward for the capture of the coward… – Double if his arms are broken first. I am serious btw (by the way).”
However, thinking better of his comments, he later deleted the message and replaced the tweet with one saying:
It may be a time of austerity in the UK but not so in the Dragons’ Den … business is booming as the self-made multimillionaires return, ready to invest in the best of Britain’s entrepreneurs.
While the rules of the Den remain the same, there is one change in the form of new Dragon Hilary Devey, who joins returning Dragons Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis, Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones.
Duncan Bannatyne has revealed that Hilary Devey will show her tough side during the first episode of the new Dragons’ Den series.
The 54 year old businesswoman – who made her fortune launching Pall-Ex, a palletised freight network – will join the panel of the BBC Two show this summer and Duncan admitted that more than one hopeful entrepreneur will find themselves experiencing her wrath.
He told BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles: “I’m trying to think what happens in the first episode, I just remember watching Hilary – twice she has a go [at people] she really goes for it.
Theo Paphitis has fuelled a row between himself and Duncan Bannatyne, by claiming that he has had more plastic surgery than American TV star Joan Rivers.
The pair work together on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den and speaking to The Sun, he said:
“There is no aftermarket equipment with me, but there is with some of the others. Dugan, (Duncan) has had more work done than Joan Rivers.
“It’s frightening – you should see the stitches sometimes.
Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne has suggested that show bosses sack millionaire James Caan from the lineup and replace him with Apprentice star Karren Brady.
Bannatyne has insisted that the BBC needs only him and Peter Jones on the show, adding that the rest of the panel including Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis are completely replaceable.
He told The Sun:
It seems that Dragon’s Den bigwig, Duncan Bannatyne, has plans to feature ten “tramps” in a new reality TV show in which the vagrants will compete for a job with Bannatyne.
The Sun reports that Duncan intends to “put the down-and-outs through their paces” at his own luxury spa hotel in Hastings, East Sussex.
The show, to be called “Homeless Hotel” will see the homeless competitors go through numerous rounds, with one eventually being awarded a job.
It seems the show’s producers are working closely with homeless charity Shelter prior to the show commencing later this year.
A show source told the paper, “Reality shows have tackled everything under the sun but no one has thought of doing something like this… Read more & comment »
Duncan Bannatyne has admitted that he is very comfortable competing with his Dragons’ Den co-star Peter Jones.
The pair will team up with with Strictly Come Dancing professionals Natalie Lowe and Lilia Kopylova for a Sport Relief special on Friday, March 19 on BBC One.
