Sara Davies has named former footballer Gary Neville as her preferred replacement on Dragons' Den, in her first interview since announcing her departure from the BBC show. The 40-year-old businesswoman appeared on The One Show on Monday evening, where host Alex Jones asked who she thought could take over her role.
Davies said: 'Do you know, I loved it when Gary Neville was in last year, and I feel like he really had that, he had the empathy and the warmth that I think I bring to the den.' Neville, 50, appeared as a guest dragon in 2024 and received positive reviews for his performance.
During the interview, Davies explained her decision to leave after six years, citing the demands of her business commitments. 'It's who I am. It's part of my DNA. It's my life. It's everything,' she said. 'And I'm not going to lie, it was not the easiest decision to make, but I'm just trying to juggle everything.'
Davies, who founded Crafter's Companion, added that she had returned to her role as CEO and needed to prioritise her business. 'When they asked me, I thought, "Oh yeah, people do it for a couple of years." And then they asked us back the third year and then the fourth year, and I just kept doing it,' she said.
However, reports in The Sun suggest that Davies's departure may be linked to financial difficulties, with claims that her 'empire is struggling' and she can 'no longer afford to splash the cash on the show'. Davies announced her exit last week on Instagram, saying she had 'loved every minute' of her time on the programme.
