The Dragons’ Den panel has been accused of making a costly blunder after they rejected a business idea that is now worth £3million – and endorsed by celebrities including Prince Andrew and One Direction’s Niall Horan.
Sunday night’s episode showed the five millionaire business giants turn down Gravity Life, the team behind the ‘revolutionary orthopaedic system’ Gravity, which claims to remedy bad backs.
While entrepreneurs Dr Shane Murnaghan and Mike Fisher were asking for £25,000 in exchange for 10 per cent of the business, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Jenny Campbell, Tej Lalvani and Touker Suleyman all decided against putting money in.
Shane Murnaghan and Mike Fisher pitched their device for remedying bad backs on Dragons’ Den. But the panel decided against backing it – and the business is now worth £3million
The panel – including Touker Suleyman, Jenny Campbell, Deborah Meaden, Tej Lalvani and Peter Jones – all decided against investing in the product. Lalvani said he needed to see more evidence
Gravity has gained celebrity fans, including Prince Andrew, Niall Horan from One Direction and ex-England cricket captain Michael Vaughan
They questioned whether there was enough medical evidence to back up the product’s claims.
Lalvani said: ‘I am a very evidence based man and I need to see how it works. That’s a problem.’
Campbell added: ‘I am not going to invest in a product that’s not proven.’
A source told Mirror Online: ‘Everyone was a little surprised that none of the Dragons wanted to invest in their product.
‘But they took on board all their comments, and Prince Andrew now uses it as do sports personalities and Military Personnel.
‘The company has just taken off.’
The panel said no to the product. Lalvani said he needed to see more evidence
I’m out: Deborah Meaden refused to stump up any cash for the product. Fellow Dragon Jenny Campbell said: ‘I am not going to invest in a product that’s not proven.’
Disappointed: Entrepreneurs Dr Shane Murnaghan and Mike Fisher walked away empty handed. But they had the last laugh and the business is now worth £3million
Gravity has gained celebrity fans, including Prince Andrew, Niall Horan from One Direction and ex-England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.
The product, a blue-balled sphere which retails at £99, involves two separate pieces of equipment working together to ease back pain.
It is designed to be used for 20 minutes a day to help correct posture.
It creates a ‘gentle and supportive holding between the neck and lower back’.