The Dragons’ Den entrepreneurs who won investment on the BBC show – but then saw their deals crumble [Video]

08:29 EST 02 Feb 2024 , updated 09:59 EST 02 Feb 2024

The latest series of Dragons’ Den has been one of the most successful yet, gripping Thursday night audiences on BBC One with its usual round of plucky start-ups. 

Plenty of deals have already been struck in recent weeks as aspiring entrepreneurs have successfully pitched to the current cohort of Dragons including Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman – and a guest appearance from Gary Neville. 

The most recent episode saw a couple – former illustrator Charlene and investment banker Simon – bagging funds for their children’s book company; following an impressive pitch, Simon and Charlene walked away with all five Dragons on board.

However, a handshake in the Den doesn’t automatically mean an ongoing business partnership, with lots of the commercial relationships brokered in the Den actually coming to nothing when the cameras stopped rolling.