I starred on the very first series of Dragons’ Den – two dragons pulled out after and my business collapsed

THINGS didn't rather spell to program for an archetypal Dragons Den prima aft securing investment.

Entrepreneur Charles Ejogo appeared successful the BBC show's first-ever occurrence backmost successful 2005.

Facing the sheet of experts, helium successfully pitched an umbrella vending instrumentality business.

Charles agreed to a associated £150,000 connection from Dragons Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones, securing 20 per cent each.

Chatting to Evan Davis aft the pitch, helium said: "I deliberation we got a bully deal. The dragons tin adhd a batch of value. They've got a monolithic magnitude of experience."

However, the woody would yet illness conscionable 7 months later.

Speaking 1 twelvemonth aft his occurrence aired, Charles said: "Since the dragons pulled retired past year, we person recovered it progressively hard to rise the superior required to turn the business, arsenic it is simply excessively ample for friends and families, but excessively tiny for the banks and task superior firms.

"Our adverts are arsenic overmuch a past effort to find concern for our business, which volition different collapse, but besides an effort to item the deficiency of options disposable to tiny high-growth businesses seeking concern successful the UK today."

Following proposal from Peter, Charles' next measurement was to acceptable up a caller institution without his erstwhile business partners.

In turn, this allowed for his thought - Umbrolly - to person a caller start.

He collaborated with Seymour Powell to make and motorboat a revised, smaller umbrella vending machine.

In relaunching the business, Charles managed to unafraid important equity from Burlington Investment Partners.

The pursuing fewer years saw the institution turn nationally and internationally, including enlargement into the Republic of Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Germany and the US.

In the end, the business' UK limb stopped trading aft losing its operating spouse but it inactive provides overseas income and consultative services.

Earlier this year, a businesswoman who entered Dragons Den accused BBC producers of "messing with the narrative" surrounding her transportation and questioning.

Anna Brightman, alongside member William, had hoped to unafraid an investment for their scope of quality products.

Appearing successful 2018, the duo faced a line-up comprising Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Souleyman, Tej Lalvani and Jenny Campbell.

Despite securing concern from Tej and Touker, watching the occurrence backmost near a sour sensation successful Anna’s mouth.

She told GB News: “They decidedly bash messiness with the narrative.

"There were snippets that were enactment successful arsenic answers to antithetic questions.

"Huge portions of what happened are near out. It seems precise unusual looking backmost connected it.”