Dragon's Den star reveals biggest regret after investing millions on BBC show

Scottish Sun

20 hours ago

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DRAGONS' Den legend Duncan Bannatyne wishes he had quit the telly hit sooner – so he could concentrate on his own endeavours.
The gym chain boss, 76, forked out over £2 million on 36 investments during his ten-year reign on the BBC show.
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Duncan doesn't miss Dragons' Den.
Credit: BBC
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Duncan with wife Nigora in Portugal.
However, after bowing out in 2015, followed by his last major TV appearance in I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here in the same year, he revealed that he regrets not declaring 'I'm out' years earlier.
Duncan said: 'I left the show ten years ago. I regret not leaving earlier, actually, as it's a huge commitment and takes up 26 days of the year to film. I spent a lot of time away from my family.
'When you invest in someone, you then need to take responsibility for that person and make hard decisions, sometimes it's not nice.
'I just didn't want to be involved in it any more, I have my own businesses.'
Duncan also revealed he doesn't regularly keep in touch with his fellow Dragons. He added: 'We all lead very different lives, but I did bump into Theo recently.'
And reflecting on his TV career, Duncan says he's unlikely to return to the small screen.
He says: 'I don't think I'll do any more television — it doesn't appeal to me. I've done everything I wanted to.'
Away from television, Clydebank-born Duncan leads a busy and fulfilling personal and professional life.
He began his career in the Royal Navy in the 1960s, but received a dishonourable discharge after threatening to throw an abusive officer off a boat landing jetty.
His entrepreneurial journey began at age 30 when he bought an ice-cream van for £450. From there he built the largest chain of independent health clubs in the UK and expanded into hotels and property.
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Today, Duncan oversees 68 gyms, takes pride in being a devoted husband and enjoys spending time with his seven grandchildren.
He's also involved in charity work, including Operation Smile, a global organisation dedicated to helping children with cleft conditions. He says: 'I went to a black tie dinner and one of the auction prizes was a trip to Mexico with Operation Smile. I bid for it and won.
'On that trip, I was absolutely amazed at how the charity transforms lives. Children with cleft conditions are often ridiculed, called 'demons' and suffer from malnourishment due to difficulties eating.
'In the UK these issues are resolved quickly but in many parts of the world there aren't enough trained medics to address them.'
Duncan is currently on a charity mission in Morocco with Uzbekistan-born wife Nigora Whitehorn, 45. The multi-millionaire tied the knot in 2017 with the stunning brunette, who is 31 years his junior.
They at an intimate ceremony before family and friends on a Portuguese beach, close to where they live.
The entrepreneur has five daughters and one son from his previous marriages, while Nigora has one daughter who Duncan calls his own.
They met shortly after his divorce in 2011 from his second wife, Joanna McCue, which is said to have cost £345 million.
Nigora was working as a dentist's receptionist in London's Harley Street when the pair first met. Duncan admitted that the connection on his side was instantaneous.
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He's much happier doing charity work now.
Credit: Supplied
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Duncan enjoys working closely with his wife after quitting telly.
Credit: instagram
The smitten husband said: 'It's great that I get to do charity work alongside my wife, we're a good team. But it's not just my wife, I've got my son and daughter here with me as well as my wife's daughter, who I call my own.
'It's like a family operation, I get to spend time with my loved ones while doing work for a great cause.'
Duncan told how he keeps in touch with families and feels a sense of attachment after hearing of their horrific ordeals. And he is happy to pull on a surgical gown and watch doctors at work in the operating theatre.
He added: 'Handing a baby back to their mother after the procedure is an amazing feeling.
"There are about 400 children at one time and sometimes you get attached to a certain child. You want to see them through the full process. I've kept in touch with a few families.
"One story that sticks out was a young girl with six fingers. She had no nose and was coming in for her cleft lip and the surgeon used her extra finger to create a nose.'
Duncan also loves spending quality time with his seven grandchildren. He said: 'I get to see them quite a bit, most of them spend summer with me in my house in Portugal.
'A few of them are out here with me now, my oldest grandson came over too. My granddaughter works for one of my clubs — she's loving it.'
Duncan shows no signs of slowing down after dancing the night away in February at a Miami nightclub for his star-studded 76th birthday bash.
Nigora declared her devotion to the Scots entrepreneur online, saying: 'I love you to the moon and back . . . Happy birthday to someone who never fails to brighten my day.'
A source said at the time: 'Duncan had an absolute ball. There might be a few sore heads in the morning, but it was worth it.'
The Scot has also swapped the boardroom for board games. He adds: 'During my downtime here in Morocco, I like to relax — by thrashing my son at backgammon.'