Two new Dragons enter the Den

BBC Two has announced today that Steve Parish and Jenny Campbell will join the Dragons’ Den line-up for Series 15, on air later this summer.

Both Steve and Jenny have first-hand experience of establishing and growing successful multi-million pound businesses. They’ll be adding to the firepower already in the Den, by bringing their commercial knowledge and skills to help them spot the next great business opportunities. 

Steve Parish is the former CEO of Tag Worldwide and the part owner and Chairman of Crystal Palace Football Club. Jenny Campbell is the founder and CEO of YourCash Europe, a pan European business providing cash machines to the retail market.

Jenny and Steve will join original Dragon Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden who joined in series three and Touker Suleyman who joined in series 13.

Steve Parish says: “I’m thrilled to become a Dragon and really excited to meet the entrepreneurs in this series, see what ideas they bring to the Den and how I might be able to help them grow.”

Jenny Campbell says: “As a fan of Dragons’ Den I’m very excited to be taking my seat in the line-up and bringing my own unique style to the Den. I’m looking forward to using my extensive business skills to spot the next generation of entrepreneurs and help them realise their business dreams.”

Patrick Holland, Channel Controller, BBC Two, says: “I’m delighted that Dragons’ Den is returning to BBC Two for its 15th series and it’s fantastic to welcome two such impressive new Dragons to the team. With their extensive business experience, Steve and Jenny, alongside Peter, Deborah and Touker make for a formidable line up to turn up the heat on prospective entrepreneurs brave enough to enter the den.”

Rachel Ashdown, Commissioning Editor, says: “Steve and Jenny bring a wealth of experience in business and I am sure this will be invaluable to all the entrepreneurs who face the heat of the den.”

Dragons’ Den is produced by BBC Studios, the BBC’s main TV production arm. Filming for the new series begins this month and the show will return to BBC Two later in the year.

BBC Studios launched as a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary in April 2017, able to make programmes for other broadcasters as well as the BBC. BBC Studios supports the BBC’s public service mission and will generate financial returns for licence fee payers.

Notes to Editor

  • Executive Producer: Darrell Olsen
  • Commissioner: Rachel Ashdown

Steve Parish biography

Steve left school at 18 and began a career in advertising and computer graphics at Adplates where he founded a technology company called Turning Point Technologies. In 1998 he acquired Adplates and renamed it Tag Worldwide.

Steve turned Tag from a small London based company with 50 staff, and a turnover of under £4m, into a leading advertising production company. Tag boasted a client base of some of the world’s biggest brands, had 3000 employees, 13 offices around the world, and revenues in excess of £180m. Steve sold the business in 2011 for around £150m.

In 2010 Steve acquired the football club he supported from childhood, Crystal Palace FC, where he has been Executive Chairman for the past seven years. Since the acquisition Steve has successfully brought the Club out of administration, into the Championship play-offs, and after winning the play-off final in May 2013, into the Premier League where the Club has enjoyed so far its longest stay. In 2016 Steve lead Crystal Palace FC to the FA Cup final, where they were runners-up against Manchester United.

Jenny Campbell biography

After leaving school at 16 to begin her working life counting cash in a bank branch, Jenny climbed through the ranks to become one of the few senior female bankers at the time in the UK.

Following thirty years in the banking trade, Jenny left the corporate world in 2006 in pursuit of a new challenge - to turn around a failing cash machine business. Jenny launched a major operational restructure of Hanco ATM Systems, turning it from a business that was making a huge loss in competitive markets to a thriving, profitable entity operating across Europe.

In the midst of the turnaround process and at the height of the financial crash, Jenny was tasked with selling the business. However, she saw that the business had real potential and wasn’t ready to give up on it or the people in it. So she decided to buyout the business and become the majority shareholder - later re-launching it as YourCash Europe Ltd.

Ten years on from taking the business under her wing, Jenny sold YourCash in October 2016 for £50 million.

Previously awarded Business Woman of the Year, Jenny’s favourite business motto is “live by corporate standards, but breathe like an entrepreneur”.

April 19, 2017 8:28am ET by BBC TWO  

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