Latest news with #JoeGallagher
Fashion Network
12-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Luxe Collective shuts down after devastating break-in and stress toll on founders
'After a year-long fight after we were broken into last year, in which both me and my brother were doing all we could just to get us through to the next day, we are no longer able to continue. 'The last year has been the most painful in my life and to be honest, whilst I'm talking to you now, I'm overwhelmed with relief – I've never been so mentally and physically drained, stress and anxious.' He also said the break-in 'ultimately affected my leadership and strategic decision-making'. He explained that the break-in wasn't the only reason for the closure but it was linked because the stress meant he made choices that weren't 'the right ones'. He didn't specify those choices but added that 'I take 100% accountability for this – it's on me'. The business had been set up in 2018 by the Merseyside-based brothers Ben and Joe Gallagher with business partner Oliver Millar also coming on board. They started buying items from eBay and Depop and built up a thriving resale business with a reputation for quality and authenticity. It received the £100k investment for a 3% stake in the firm on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. Despite the company having shared CCTV video of the robbery, the case was eventually closed with nobody being apprehended. While the company last autumn received an insurance payment to cover the value of the stock and was therefore able to pay out anyone who was selling their secondhand fashion through the platform on consignment, it wasn't the end of the problems. We've already mentioned the stress it brought with it. But just like any second-hand or antiques business, a huge issue is finding the stock to sell and Ben Gallagher had issued a social media appeal asking if anyone has 'anything to sell or might know someone who might have something to sell, go on our website, fill out a form and sell your items to us'. All employees have now been made redundant with Gallagher saying the thieves 'haven't just ruined the company… They've ruined the livelihoods of not just me and my brother, but all the amazing staff that we have had to make redundant and who've lost their jobs in the process.' But in a TikTok video, he also listed the firm's achievements, including creating business that 'was recognised all over the world and got the whole industry talking about us'. And he said the firm generated £30 million+ in revenue from a standing start with zero investment, also achieving over three million social media followers and a billion views. And in a touching moment he said it also strengthened his relationship with his brother.
Fashion Network
12-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Luxe Collective shuts down after devastating break-in and stress toll on founders
'After a year-long fight after we were broken into last year, in which both me and my brother were doing all we could just to get us through to the next day, we are no longer able to continue. 'The last year has been the most painful in my life and to be honest, whilst I'm talking to you now, I'm overwhelmed with relief – I've never been so mentally and physically drained, stress and anxious.' He also said the break-in 'ultimately affected my leadership and strategic decision-making'. He explained that the break-in wasn't the only reason for the closure but it was linked because the stress meant he made choices that weren't 'the right ones'. He didn't specify those choices but added that 'I take 100% accountability for this – it's on me'. The business had been set up in 2018 by the Merseyside-based brothers Ben and Joe Gallagher with business partner Oliver Millar also coming on board. They started buying items from eBay and Depop and built up a thriving resale business with a reputation for quality and authenticity. It received the £100k investment for a 3% stake in the firm on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. Despite the company having shared CCTV video of the robbery, the case was eventually closed with nobody being apprehended. While the company last autumn received an insurance payment to cover the value of the stock and was therefore able to pay out anyone who was selling their secondhand fashion through the platform on consignment, it wasn't the end of the problems. We've already mentioned the stress it brought with it. But just like any second-hand or antiques business, a huge issue is finding the stock to sell and Ben Gallagher had issued a social media appeal asking if anyone has 'anything to sell or might know someone who might have something to sell, go on our website, fill out a form and sell your items to us'. All employees have now been made redundant with Gallagher saying the thieves 'haven't just ruined the company… They've ruined the livelihoods of not just me and my brother, but all the amazing staff that we have had to make redundant and who've lost their jobs in the process.' But in a TikTok video, he also listed the firm's achievements, including creating business that 'was recognised all over the world and got the whole industry talking about us'. And he said the firm generated £30 million+ in revenue from a standing start with zero investment, also achieving over three million social media followers and a billion views. And in a touching moment he said it also strengthened his relationship with his brother.
Fashion United
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Resale platform Luxe Collective to shutter
British resale platform Luxe Collective has announced plans to close down its business just seven years into its lifespan. The news comes almost one year after the company faced a break-in at its warehouse, where it was reported that over 500,000 pounds in stock was stolen. Luxe Collective revealed it was closing down on its official Instagram page, where it stated: 'After a year long fight after we were broken into last year, in which both me and my brother [co-founders Ben and Joe Gallagher, ed.] were doing all we could just to get us through to the next day. We are no longer able to continue.' The statement continued: 'The last year has been the most painful in my life and to be truly honest, whilst I'm talking to you now, I'm overwhelmed with relief – I've never been so mentally and physically drained, stressed and anxious.' 'We are no longer able to continue' The Gallagher brothers founded Luxe Collective in 2018 on the basis of offering a re-commerce site for rare and vintage pieces. Its appeal was bolstered when the co-founders appeared on the BBC TV show, Dragon's Den, where they managed to secure a 100,000 pound investment in exchange for a 3 percent equity stake from entrepreneur Steven Bartlett. In July 2024, however, the company took a significant financial hit when its warehouse was robbed by what was believed to be a professional group that was said to have stolen around 500,000 pounds worth of luxury products, representing about 50 percent of what Luxe Collective owned. At the time, it was reported that a blind spot had been identified in the company's security. In response, Ben Gallagher said: 'The break in not only affected the financial state of the company but also took such an emotional mental toll on me and my brother, which ultimately affected my leadership and strategic decision-making. I made a decision that, in retrospect, I regret – they were not the right ones. I take 100 percent accountability for this – it's on me. "The criminals who broke in haven't just ruined the company. They ruined the livelihoods of not just me and my brother, but all the amazing stuff that we've had to make redundant, and who have lost their jobs in the process."
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
‘People live to 90 and don't do half of what I've done': Boxing trainer Joe Gallagher on facing up to cancer
'I am a little scared,' Joe Gallagher says quietly as, in a deserted room upstairs at his famous old gym in Moss Side, Manchester, he addresses the stage four bowel and liver cancer that has taken hold of him. Two hours earlier, while giving me a guided tour of the Champs Camp gym where history and sweat seep from the peeling walls, Gallagher had been in roaring flow. As six of his fighters shadowboxed each other, feinting and weaving in the crowded ring, the 56-year-old had yelled out instructions. Gallagher looked every inch the proud winner of the Trainer of the Year award – which he received last month at the British Boxing awards. But no matter how hard he works, or how cleverly he tries to find a strategy to overcome the odds, Gallagher has entered dark terrain. He loves the company of his fighters and his family, and appreciates the medical experts who urge him to pay more attention to cancer than boxing, but there are moments when he is alone with the disease. 'I've only shed one tear and that was in January when I got told at the Christie,' Gallagher says of the NHS cancer centre in Manchester. 'I'd come round from the general anaesthetic and the doctor says: 'We're dealing with bowel cancer and we need another scan.'' For Gallagher, 'that was the time – those moments I had on my own. Until then I didn't think it was real. You're expecting Ant and Dec or Jeremy Beadle to say it's all a joke but I suddenly thought: 'Flipping hell, this is real.' The consultant said this would have started around 10 years ago with small polyps. They could have been removed if I'd had some tests.' Gallagher was soon back in the corner, preparing for a fight in Saudi Arabia, when the next results emerged. On a Zoom call to his consultant he said: ''I'll be back in Manchester Sunday night and I can see you Monday. But I'd rather you tell me now. I'm not a Rich Tea biscuit. I'm not going to melt and fall apart.' So he told me the extent of the cancer in the liver and since then they've found cysts on the thyroid. They'll look into that soon. But we're just getting on with it.' He pauses. 'It really is mad. Last year everyone's perception was: 'Wow, look at Gallagher, opening that Mike Tyson gym he set up in Saudi. He's there with Tyson, Ronaldo, Eminem. He had a year where we've seen Natasha Jonas winning a world title, Lawrence Okolie winning a world title. He's got all these kids coming through.' But, unbeknown to us all, he's fucking riddled with cancer.' Gallagher returns to the video call which confirmed the devastating news. 'The consultant told me about keyhole surgery but said if that won't work they'll split me open from here to here.' He gestures to a point high up on his chest and works his way down to his stomach. 'I said to him: 'Oh, that'll look good on the beach. I can tell the kids a shark attacked me years ago.' But they've not decided yet whether it'll be joint surgery, which is bowel and liver, or just bowel, or what might happen. I'm having cycles of chemo. I have a drip for three hours with the strongest chemo, and then I'm on chemo tablets every day for two weeks, then I have a week off. Then I do my fourth cycle again for three weeks.' He smiles when I say that, hearing him bellowing encouragement to his fighters this morning, an outsider would have no idea that his vitality was being drained by the chemotherapy. 'I'm blessed to be around so many good people, young people, and they've shown a lot of loyalty in staying with me. I can see why Ferguson, Wenger and all the great managers went on for years because when you're around young people you want to see them blossom. That gives you renewed energy.' Had he felt ill before he took a chance series of medical tests to check on his general health? Gallagher shakes his head. 'I had no real symptoms which is why I urge people to get tested and for the government to bring down the screening age for men.' Gallagher is resolute in his commitment to the brutal sport which has defined him for so long, but he can no longer escape cancer. 'The hardest thing was telling my mum. She had two strokes last year and I did half-joke and say: 'The race is on. Who will go first?'' He laughs and then shrugs. 'I'm a big believer that your cards are dealt before you're born. You've got to make the most of it, and I had a tough conversation with my [adult] children. Sophie and Curtis are worried. But I said to them: 'If I was to go next week, next year, two years, whenever, I can't complain about the life I've had. Think about the amount of highs and lows. I know people who live to 90 and not do half of what I've done. I've also seen you grow up into fine young adults. If there's anything to tell you, I will talk to you. But I just want you to continue your lives as normal.' It's all we can do.' Gallagher has given up so much to develop as a trainer. He admits that turning pro and leaving his job at Manchester airport, where he was a union shop steward, cost him his marriage. 'I'd come home and say: 'John Murray sparred brilliantly today.' My wife would say: 'That's good. But how much did you get paid this week?' I'd say: 'Nothing yet.' All right. The next week Matthew Macklin trained really well. She'd say: 'Good. How much did you earn this week?' Nothing again. So she said: 'You're just following an expensive hobby.' But I knew it would take years of work.' Gallagher's boxing obsession meant that he missed his father-in-law's funeral. In hindsight, doesn't that seem crazy? 'No. John Murray was getting ready for a massive fight and the only available sparring that day was at the same time. I remember going to the gym and Kerry Kayes [the nutritionist] said: 'What about the funeral?' I went: 'John needs me more than she needs me. She's got her family and everyone else around her. But he can't spar today without me.' 'I can understand why that didn't go down well at home. But Ferguson, Mourinho and Klopp have got that ruthless streak, and you need it. But [he and his wife] kept talking and the kids really turned out well.' Gallagher will have 'more X-rays in mid-April and then at the end of the month we'll find out whether the cancer has shrunk or whether we're going for a dual operation in May or June. I'm thinking: 'Great, because I can recover in the summer and be ready for September.'' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion There is so much admirable positivity here but Gallagher does not avoid the fact that Phil Martin, his mentor and former trainer, died from cancer when he was just 44 in May 1994. We sit outside Martin's old office and Gallagher has ensured that the entire gym remains largely unchanged. At 17 he became one of Martin's few white fighters, when Moss Side was a deprived and largely African-Caribbean neighbourhood. Martin had started Champs Camp in the aftermath of the 1981 riots and the trainer influenced Gallagher in profound ways. Walking around the gym, showing me old photographs and posters, Gallagher makes it clear how precious it is to follow the philosophies he learned from Martin – who helped him become a trainer in the same way that Gallagher has inspired his former fighters Anthony Crolla and Scott Quigg to start coaching young boxers. Gallagher told me years ago how he used to visit Martin's graveside before big fights. 'I still do that today,' he confirms. 'But I also think subconsciously, although I try not to let it surface, I've been here before. Phil got diagnosed in November [1993] and he was gone [six] months later. It was in his liver and bloods so I know how aggressive it can be.' His face crumples and his eyes swim with tears when I ask if he has been thinking of Martin more than ever. 'Yeah.' Gallagher can't talk as he struggles to stop crying. 'Excuse me,' he eventually says softly. Thirty seconds later he sounds strong again. 'Before all the big fights I go see Phil [at the cemetery]. I also have a fight-night ritual where, before I leave the hotel room, I say my prayers to a few people, and that always includes Phil. I pray for all the fighters, not just my own, asking for them to come out safe and sound. I also ask Phil if he can guide me during the fight, to make sure I say the right thing at the right time. It's peaceful after I've done that.' It's also important that, despite his searing commitment to boxing, Gallagher puts his own health first. 'I'm trying to do that now. Early on I probably buried my head in the sand a little. I had training camps and big fights and just went from one to the other. It was really intense from November to March but I've got some breathing space coming up. 'Last week was the worst week so far. I've been really tired. Massive stomach cramps. But it still feels very surreal talking about it. The gym is flying and sometimes I wish I didn't know I had cancer and could carry on as normal all the time. But I'm doing all the treatment and, if it means I'm here a bit longer, then it's worth it. Most of all, everyone needs the message that you're not too young to have a stool sample at 30 or 40. I don't want anyone to be surprised in the way that I was by cancer.' We go back downstairs and Gallagher talks to his fighters – who all exude positivity and good cheer around their trainer. In such a gritty setting, and amid the bleak reality of cancer, their work together brings so much light and hope. His young boxers also offer an uplifting antidote to societal despair over toxic masculinity as they are full of kindness and purpose, good cheer and thoughtful questions. They owe so much, rather than just winning fights and titles, to their trainer. Gallagher looks around the gym he loves. He is in a difficult corner but he has so much to live for and so much more to give. There is vast experience and optimism too as Gallagher tries to live in the here and the now, no matter how bruising it feels. 'People say I'm stubborn but I'm not ignorant,' he suggests. 'I'm aware of what's gone on in the past with Phil. I've also spoken to lots of people from different walks of life who have reached out and told me about their experiences [surviving cancer]. It's been really inspiring. I've just got to enjoy it for as long as I can. I feel that more than ever.'
Telegraph
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
British boxing coach Joe Gallagher reveals stage-four cancer diagnosis
Joe Gallagher, the boxing trainer, has revealed he has stage-four liver and bowel cancer. The 56-year-old, who has coached a host of world champions including Anthony Crolla and Natasha Jonas, announced he had been diagnosed in November and had been undergoing chemotherapy. Gallagher, who was named The Ring 's Trainer of the Year in 2015, said in a statement: 'It's been a lot to take in over these past few months. I just wanted to carry on as normal as possible, while I tried to process things. 'I would like to say no matter how busy life gets, your health should always come first. We can overlook things and put things off because we're always so 'busy', but ultimately there's nothing more important than your health. 'I didn't have any major symptoms, so if you feel something isn't right, no matter how small, please don't put it off – please go and get checked, as it could save your life. 'I want to thank my family, friends, my fighters and the people I've been able to confide in so far on this journey, their support has been incredible. 'I know I have to prioritise my health at this time, yet boxing is giving me that bit of escapism I need right now. As I go through my own battle, being around an incredible team of fighters is helping me continue to do what I love.' That includes preparing Jonas for a unification fight against fellow welterweight champion Lauren Price, which is set for March 7, and former cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie for a heavyweight clash with Richard Riakporhe on April 5. Gallagher, who has also coached Scott Quigg and brothers Callum and Liam Smith to world titles, added: 'I've only just begun my fight back against this disease, there's still so much I am processing, which is very hard to talk about right now; it's also a very difficult time for my family and friends too.' Gallagher has been head coach at the Mike Tyson Boxing Gym in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 2023. He was given his diagnosis the month after former track cyclist Sir Chris Hoy revealed he had been told he had terminal stage-four prostate cancer. In December, former Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan revealed he had been diagnosed with a 'quite aggressive' form of bladder and prostate cancer earlier in the year which had spread to his spine and pelvis.
