Dragons' Den star Richard Farleigh has accused an unnamed co-star of bullying contestants. The Australian-born private investor, 65, appeared on the third and fourth series of the BBC show in the mid-2000s, investing in a number of businesses.
Nearly two decades on, Farleigh reflected on his time on the programme in a recent LinkedIn post. He wrote: "In 2006, when the BBC asked me to be an investor on Dragon’s Den, I thought I knew what to expect… You might be surprised when you find out what happened behind the scenes - I certainly was.
"I’d watched the show before, but that didn’t ease the nerves once the cameras started rolling. 4 weeks of intense, close-up filming, where I had to appear relaxed, charismatic, and clever. There was no formal training beforehand. I’m not sure training even exists!"
'Terrifying' experience for contestants
Farleigh described the show as a "terrifying" experience for contestants, saying there were times it felt like "bullying". He wrote: "For the contestants, it was a terrifying experience. And for many, it was the most important day of their business lives. Contestants weren’t allowed to see the set before filming, so when they walked in, they were immediately confronted with 5 intimidating dragons and a production crew of about 20 members, all watching closely."
"The dragons had all the advantages. Only about 10% of the footage made it to the final edit, and I suspect the BBC wasn’t keen on letting the dragons look too silly. In contrast, the same couldn’t be said for the contestants.
"I was shocked by how nasty some of the other dragons were. The producers said the show needed a bit of nastiness - otherwise, contestants would have nothing to lose. There would be no sense of jeopardy.
"As a result, the dragons would often over-criticise a presentation or contestant to the point of ridicule. It was an unfair game - the dragons didn’t have much at stake, sitting comfortably in their chairs and sounding clever, while contestants had everything to lose. Occasionally, it even felt like bullying, which made me uncomfortable."
Threatened to quit over upset contestant
Farleigh claimed there was one incident where he had to speak to an upset contestant. He said: "I was once asked to speak with a contestant after the filming because he was so upset. 'You’re either stupid or dishonest, or probably both', had been thrown at him. I was shocked.
"He confided in me that he, too, had come through the care system and had hoped I would be the dragon to invest. I told the director, politely, that if that footage ever made it on air, I would quit the show and publicly condemn it." That moment was kept off screen.
Farleigh later added that he enjoyed working with the BBC and said the other Dragons had been extremely professional and pleasant to work with. He also said that "in the vast majority of cases", the show was good viewing and was very fair to contestants.
The BBC declined to comment when approached by the Mirror.
