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EXCLUSIVE: 'I was on Dragons' Den and this Dragon surprised me the most'

Dragons' Den businesswoman Danielle Close shares behind-the-scenes secrets from the BBC show

A businesswoman on Dragons' Den revealed one Dragon in particular gave her a shock she had not anticipated.

Danielle Close, founder of the skincare brand My Skin Feels, appeared on the latest episode of the BBC series in a bid to impress the Dragons with her award-winning business.

She managed to secure investment from from Deborah Meaden, who has often shared her opinion on family-run and independent businesses, and Gary Neville, securing a 50,000 joint investment in exchange for 20 per cent equity, marking a major milestone for the fast-growing sustainable beauty brand.

Speaking exclusively to Reach titles, Danielle opened up about what filming the series was like and she shared some surprising behind-the-scenes insight.

When asked if there was a particular expert who defied her expectations, she said: "The person that surprised me the most was Touker, because me and him have very different business values.

[A woman is in an office setting with skincare products]

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Danielle Close showcased My Skin Feels on Dragons' Den

"He's an amazing businessman but he's very much like a hard, fast, make it in China, that kind of business.

"Mine is a slow, sustainable growth vibe, so I just didn't think we would actually mesh, but I actually really liked him.

"I liked them all, they were all great, but I thought that I wasn't going to align with him at all and actually I think he really understood the brand.

"It just wasn't for him in that way, you'll see on the show. But that was quite a surprise for me."

She also admitted the scariest part was waiting for the iconic lift to open, but the behind-the-scenes set-up was not what she expected. She added: "It's a set and I didn't really think about it. But it's literally like a TV studio, so the lift is a studio.

[A woman in a blue jumper speaks to a camera]

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Danielle Close is the founder of My Skin Feels

"So I was like... of course it is, it's a TV show, but you don't really think that until you're in there. I honestly was really excited, I actually really loved it.

"It was so scary, the scariest part for me was waiting for the lift to open, because what you don't see is behind the wall, not the lift, they basically just say just wait for the lift to count down and then walk.

"But they can't give you a timeline because all the Dragons are talking, and so you are kind of just waiting like, 'When's it going to happen?'

"Then suddenly it's like three, two, one, boom! And you're like...then you have to walk. So that was actually the scariest bit for me, just like waiting and knowing the pitch was coming."

Despite getting multiple offers from the Dragons, Danielle actually ended up accepting a better offer from a private investor after the show had finished filming.

[A man with glasses and a suit talks]

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Touker Suleyman was the Dragon who surprised Danielle the most

She explained: "I accepted from two Dragons, which was great, but what really weirdly happened was a private investor came in and swooped in with an offer.

"I didn't tell them I went on the Den but like five weeks after the show I hadn't heard anything from the Dragons and then a private investor came in with an amazing offer.

"Then another five angels came in with an amazing offer, so I went back to my two Dragons and said 'Look, this thing has happened, I want to be open and honest about it and I'd love you to come in on it'.

"'But just so you know this is what has been happening in the time I haven't heard from you', and then they withdrew from me based on that."

Danielle was not disheartened, saying it was only proof her brand was successful. My Skin Feels was recently named on the StartUps 100 list for 2026.

Dragons' Den airs on BBC One on Thursdays at 8pm

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