Dragon’s Den star Richard Farleigh has accused his former co-stars of ‘bullying’ contestants before he was axed from the show in 2007.
The Australian investor, 65, claimed he had threatened to quit the show over an incident involving a contestant on the series as he reflected on his time on the programme.
Richard played for two seasons alongside Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis.
He wrote on his LinkedIn page on Monday: ‘When the BBC asked me to be an investor in Dragon’s Den in 2006, I thought I knew what to expect…
‘You may be surprised when you find out what happened behind the scenes, I certainly was.
‘I had seen the show before, but that didn’t ease my nerves when the cameras started rolling.
Dragon’s Den star Richard Farleigh, 65, has accused his former co-stars of ‘bullying’ contestants before he was axed from the show in 2007
The Australian investor claimed he threatened to leave the show over an incident involving a series contestant while reflecting on his time on the program
‘Four weeks of intense close-up filming, during which I had to appear relaxed, charismatic and smart. There was no formal training beforehand. I’m not sure such training even exists!
‘It was a terrifying experience for the participants. And for many it was the most important day of their business lives.
‘The participants were not allowed to see the set before filming, so when they entered they were immediately confronted by five intimidating dragons and a production crew of around twenty members, all of whom were keeping a close eye on them.
‘The dragons had all the advantages. Only about 10% of the footage made it into the final cut, and I suspect the BBC wasn’t keen on making the dragons look too crazy.
‘The same could not be said of the participants. I was shocked at how mean some of the other dragons were.
‘The producers said the show needed a little sleaze or the contestants would have nothing to lose.
‘There would be no sense of danger. As a result, the dragons would often overly criticize a presentation or participant to the point of ridicule.
Richard played for two seasons alongside Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis
‘It was an unfair game: the dragons didn’t have much at stake, they sat comfortably in their chairs and sounded smart, while the participants had everything to lose.
‘Sometimes it even felt like bullying, which made me feel uncomfortable. I was once asked to speak to a participant after the taping because he was so upset.
“You’re stupid or dishonest, or probably both,” was thrown at him. I was shocked.
‘He confided to me that he too had been through the healthcare system and had hoped that I would be the dragon who would invest.
“I politely told the director that if that footage ever appeared on the air, I would leave the show and publicly condemn it. Fortunately, the moment remained out of the picture.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to BBC co-stars and Richard for comment.
