Dragons' Den has been captivating audiences for 19 years, but it had never seen a guest investor... until now. This Thursday, one unexpected entrepreneur took a seat among the regular crew of seasoned investors. None other than Gary Neville, former footballer turned pundit, stepped into the Den alongside Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies, and Steven Bartlett.
Say what you will about Gary, but his decision was bold. After all, investing can be just as risky as Manchester United paying €95 million for Antony. One wrong move and Jamie Carragher's taunting tweets would haunt him forever. Yet, Gary proved exceedingly brave, making investments in two out of four business ideas pitched that evening.
One pitch that caught Gary's attention was a string of pods resembling "boarded up skips." These pods offered a unique movie-watching experience on large king-size beds with 93-inch televisions. Another intriguing idea came from a cacao company owner who sang to his cacao to give it a "heightened vibration" upon arrival from Venezuela.
But Gary's enthusiasm didn't end there. He made offers to three pitchers, including Giselle from Sheffield, whose business focused on needle-less ear acupuncture. Impressed by her back story and presentation, Gary explained that he couldn't pass up the opportunity, knowing that his powerful family of women would never forgive him if he didn't invest. In this regard, he stood out as the antithesis of Joey Barton. Unfortunately, Giselle chose Steven instead, leaving Gary feeling disappointed.
However, no one felt the sting of rejection as deeply as Billy from Essex, who sells football memorabilia. Billy was convinced that Gary would jump at the chance to invest in his business, given their shared background as former footballers. Yet, the Beeb's portrayal of Gary as a "former professional footballer" seemed slightly exaggerated, similar to dubbing a fifth-choice left-back from Blackpool as an "ex-Premier League ace." It was as if Marcel Desailly were about to enter the Den with thermal socks!
Billy's hopes were dashed when Gary declined to invest, possibly due to Billy's comment about Gary's punditry. However, as with any business venture, there's a risk in both investing and rejecting opportunities. Deborah, for instance, dismissed a hair unknotting implement back in 2007, calling it "like a horse brush." Little did she know that the Tangle Teezer would later sell for a whopping £70 million. Perhaps Gary will regret turning down Billy's memorabilia business in a similar fashion.
On a brighter note, Sian and John from Cardiff accepted Gary's offer to invest in their Cosy Cinema pod business. Although Gary had to share the investment with Touker, who could be considered the Harry Redknapp of the Den, it was still a win. However, given Gary's reputed lack of patience, working with Touker might test his limits.
Lastly, Liam from Manchester entered the Den, sharing his inspiration for starting a business after encountering a cacao shaman in Guatemala in 2012. Naturally, who hasn't had that experience, right? Liam's entrance was accompanied by the cacao goddess, Paulina, and a call-and-response type chanting while he played a bodhrán-like instrument. At this point, Gary was missing Carragher.
As Liam shared his passion for cacao, calling it a "cup of love, abundance, and joy," Deborah politely remarked, "You live in a very different space." Liam humbly responded, "I live in a council house in Withington, so probably, yeah." Despite their differences, Gary was smitten with Liam's vision. The question arose: which football team did Liam support? When he proudly pointed to his Manchester City tattoo, Gary playfully remarked, "You destroyed my childhood."
However, any past football rivalries were put aside as Liam happily accepted Gary's suggestion for him, Peter, and Steven to invest in his cacao business. There was just one concern: "My brother's going to absolutely kill me; he hates Gary Neville." Hopefully, though, Liam's cacao business will turn out to be another Tangle Teezer success rather than a disappointment like Antony.
With Gary Neville's venture into the Dragons' Den, the show gained a new dimension. Whether he gets burned or emerges victorious, only time will tell. One thing is certain: Gary's brave foray into the world of investments has added an exciting twist to the longstanding series.
