0:00:02 > 0:00:07Gerald Ratner is the boss who became public enemy number one.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11People say to me, "How can you sell this for such a low price?"
0:00:11 > 0:00:13I say, "Because it's total crap."
0:00:15 > 0:00:18I thought because of the speech I could never sell anything again
0:00:18 > 0:00:19as long as I lived.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21After years in the wilderness,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Ratner re-launched his career by building a gym.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29In 1997, the cameras followed Ratner as he created a new
0:00:29 > 0:00:34luxury health club. He would have to overcome technical challenges...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Will the place smell of BO?
0:00:37 > 0:00:39..fights with builders...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Organised chaos!
0:00:43 > 0:00:47..and a bust-up with his business partner.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52It's a very, very unpleasant situation to be in.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Now, Ratner is going to re-live the experience
0:00:55 > 0:00:57of getting back into business.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'Everybody is very edgy and I don't normally inhale my cigars,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03'but I am this week.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05And, after a 15-year rift,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09he's meeting face-to-face with the friend he sacked.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13You said to me you should always leave the party with who you arrive,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15- you remember that?- Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17But when it came to it, you didn't do that.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Gerald Ratner was once the golden boy of British business.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43After building up the family firm
0:01:43 > 0:01:45into the country's biggest jewellery chain, he was hailed
0:01:45 > 0:01:47as the man with the Midas touch.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56In 1991, he was invited to address
0:01:56 > 0:01:59a prestigious conference at the Albert Hall.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03What should have been his crowning moment turned into a nightmare.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07We also do this nice sherry decanter, it's cut glass,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12and it comes complete with six glasses on a silver-plated tray
0:02:12 > 0:02:15that your butler could bring you in and serve you drinks on,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20and it really only costs £4.95.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25People say to me, "How can you sell this for such a low price?"
0:02:25 > 0:02:28I say, "Because it's total crap."
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Ratner's joke went down like a lead balloon.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Targeted by the tabloids, King Midas had become a pariah.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49I made the speech in April 1991 and hung on for 18 months,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51which was the worst 18 months of my life,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55hired a chairman who fired me and then left,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58and because all my money was in shares
0:02:58 > 0:03:03and Ratner shares had gone down to nothing, I didn't have any money.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07His career in ruins, Ratner was cast out in the wilderness.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09I didn't have the will to work, I didn't want to play any more.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I believed everything the press was saying about me.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I had applied for various jobs
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and was always rejected
0:03:20 > 0:03:21and I basically gave up.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24After five long years,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Ratner found a way to rebuild his career.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Because I was very depressed about my situation
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and I found that doing exercise
0:03:36 > 0:03:40made me feel a lot brighter.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43So I was really into all that health and fitness,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and I thought the natural thing to do was open up a health club.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Ratner's vision of creating a new health club
0:03:49 > 0:03:52found a home in affluent Henley-on-Thames.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54After embarking on his new venture,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Ratner agreed to take part in the BBC documentary series
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Trouble At The Top.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Over three months, the cameras followed him as he struggled to get
0:04:04 > 0:04:05his health club off the ground.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Obviously all of this needs carpeting.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I haven't seen the carpet man.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16I'm looking forward to seeing the carpet man.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Now, 15 years on, Ratner is going to witness his business rebirth
0:04:21 > 0:04:24as a fitness entrepreneur.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28It doesn't look like we'll have it ready for Friday.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Well, when I show people round
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and say we're having an opening party on Friday night
0:04:32 > 0:04:35they think I'm having one of my jokes.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36I think you're having one of your jokes!
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Ratner's return began at the site of a former warehouse in Henley.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46His dream was to turn it into a health club called The Workshop.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It was great to create something from scratch
0:04:51 > 0:04:55cos it was just a building site, an old building,
0:04:55 > 0:05:01and as every brick was laid it was fantastic to imagine
0:05:01 > 0:05:04what this luxury health club was going to look like.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It was just extremely exciting for me.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Ratner's business partner was Tony Colborne.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14After failing to raise his share of the money to buy the club,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Gerald decided to employ Tony as general manager.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22The bond between Tony and I is so strong because we went through
0:05:22 > 0:05:27a situation that was totally hopeless for months.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30It was just looking like the whole thing was sinking.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33We were not getting the gym, we were not getting the money
0:05:33 > 0:05:35and we stuck with it and we've come through it
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and we look at it today, we can't believe it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Gerald is unfortunately associated with an event which was a misfortune
0:05:41 > 0:05:45and I think there's a lot of people, even after all these years,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47who are looking for another misfortune,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50and it's a big pressure on me to make sure that doesn't happen.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53So really, my motivation is to make the business work.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55We had a certain rapport,
0:05:55 > 0:06:01a sense of humour maybe through the adversity,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04but we joked around
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and we got on extremely well.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Although they'd raised enough to start building, money was tight.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14A short cut was made on a key aspect of the gym -
0:06:14 > 0:06:16there would be no air conditioning.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Will the place smell of BO?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22That's basically the question that we want answered.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Can you guarantee there'll be no smell of BO?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I can't guarantee. It is designed not to smell.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Nice and cool in here, isn't it?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32That's a good sign. It's cool.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Gerald put £200,000 into the project
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and found two outside partners to put in the same.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The price of the building contract was fixed,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45but more money was needed to cope with the luxury equipment.
0:06:45 > 0:06:52You're saying that to run 40 aerobic machines costs more than...
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Originally you just had a free-standing cycle
0:06:56 > 0:07:00that you used to pedal on, and now it's got computers and power
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and you've got the running machines that run up and down...
0:07:03 > 0:07:05It's absolute nonsense.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08And to put up the cost by 120,000
0:07:08 > 0:07:12when we're in the middle of doing it,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'it's a try-on and they're not going to get away with it.'
0:07:15 > 0:07:21We had to put a facility that was going to be first-class.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26The worry here was that costs now were escalating.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30We didn't have it in the budget and we were having to cut corners
0:07:30 > 0:07:31and we were going to be a laughing stock,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35so that was another pressure we were under.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Determined to lure members to his new health club,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Ratner decided to build a pool.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It's very exciting that we're digging the hole now.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55I couldn't believe that this has happened.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Fantastic.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Ratner's other partner was property developer Michael Sears.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06He agreed to stump up the extra £100,000 needed for the pool.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10I reckoned that Gerald Ratner was very keen to make a comeback
0:08:10 > 0:08:14and to get involved, he needed something to do, he was screaming.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16This guy needed to get involved in something
0:08:16 > 0:08:21and get his hands on a task and get working again.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Hi, Michael.- Cor!
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Dug ourselves a bloody big hole there!
0:08:27 > 0:08:31I felt a bit under pressure because he is a tough nut
0:08:31 > 0:08:37and he wouldn't accept anything other than perfection.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41We want the creche to be in here or somewhere, I don't know where,
0:08:41 > 0:08:42we want it to be in here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Michael was worried about the creche.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47The plan was to put the members' kids in a log cabin in the garden,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50but Tony hadn't applied for planning permission.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- What about this corner here? - That's our nice garden area.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57We're seeing a cabin this afternoon, we'll look at the space
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and how many children it can accommodate and if it's the type of building,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and if it is we'll give the dimensions to the architect
0:09:03 > 0:09:05and tell him to insert it into the plan.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07There's a meeting on Monday.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Your argument is one of the reasons you haven't put planning permission
0:09:10 > 0:09:13in for the log cabin is you didn't know what log cabin we were buying
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- or what size it was... - No, we don't where it's going to go.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17But Tony!
0:09:17 > 0:09:21The whole thing about planning is you write down where you'll want it to go
0:09:21 > 0:09:26and then you go in and ask for that and you make sure that that happens
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and it's not going to descend from heaven.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32You've got to decide what you want.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35If you don't make those decisions, nothing happens.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38- Is this it here?- Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43Under pressure from their investors, Gerald and Tony decided it was time
0:09:43 > 0:09:46to secure a deal on the log cabin for the creche.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53He's asking £6,000 for it, he's indicated...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56I think we should offer him five.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Well, he's already indicated he'd accept five...
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Offer him four, offer him four. In cash, this afternoon.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07With Michael Sears it was always a little bit difficult.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10You had to be very careful what you said, but with Tony
0:10:10 > 0:10:14you could just make a fool of yourself and he could with me
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and we didn't really care
0:10:16 > 0:10:21and we...you know, just enjoyed our journey together.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26- So what would you be prepared to pay?- What's your figure?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- I'm asking you, what would you do? - You say £1,500 to move it...
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I say two. You've got to make it look worst-case, haven't you, to him?
0:10:32 > 0:10:35No, I want the real facts from you.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38We say two but we can probably get it done for between one,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40one and a half.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Well, I reckon if we're all in for five for the whole lot that's fine.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47What's the best deal? The best deal is to pay nothing, isn't it!
0:10:48 > 0:10:53'Go up and say to him, "Me and my partner have had a long discussion
0:10:53 > 0:10:57'"and we've formulated an offer for you and it's nothing!"'
0:10:58 > 0:11:03I mean, you can do that, but I'll hide behind the hedge.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It's still going to cost us about £2,000.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08He'll be very impressed with that offer, won't he?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11He'll kiss your feet.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18The owner arrived and an offer was made.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23If we offered you £4,000 today plus we'd look after the removal cost
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- we'd be prepared to give you a cheque today.- I'll accept that.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- Good.- OK.- Thanks very much.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Gerald had his creche, but without planning consent,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34it could only open for two hours a day.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37His wife Moira predicted problems.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I assume that they'll pick a reasonable two hours,
0:11:40 > 0:11:45- and the morning is always the best time.- It'll be between 11am and 1pm.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49I should think that's probably the worst time to have a creche open, Gerald,
0:11:49 > 0:11:55over lunchtime. I would have thought 10 till 12.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- Who did make this decision?- Tony.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- DAUGHTER:- Did you agree with it? Did you?
0:12:00 > 0:12:05- Erm, yeah.- You see, Daddy, the things that Mummy asked you, who made this decision,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09let's say Tony made it. You still agreed with it.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11If you didn't agree, it wouldn't happen, I mean...
0:12:11 > 0:12:13He's just trying to annoy me, Sarah.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I know, I know. I still think it's right.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Then go and say to Mummy,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26say to Mummy,
0:12:26 > 0:12:32"Tony said it but I agreed with it because I thought it was right."
0:12:32 > 0:12:37- Don't go and say Tony thought of it. - Tony said it and I agree with it.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Although we were joking around and everyone was very happy,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43we were very short of money,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47and I clearly needed to make a success of this
0:12:47 > 0:12:49to get an income coming in.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54GENERAL CHATTER
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It's extremely tense.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Everybody is very edgy
0:12:59 > 0:13:02and they won't let me in into the Portakabin when I smoke this cigar
0:13:02 > 0:13:06so I'm sitting out here.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And I don't normally inhale my cigars, but I am this week.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11With less than an hour to go,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14the staff arrive to help with the preparations.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Ratner decided it was time to rally his troops.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I know it's been an enormous amount of pressure
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and it's been absolutely ridiculous but it's not looking bad,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32it's not 100% but it's not bad and I would just like to thank you.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34I know we're all under tremendous strain
0:13:34 > 0:13:36but if it's possible that we can all smile,
0:13:36 > 0:13:37because that's the best thing we can do.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- You're the only one not smiling. - I'm the only one not smiling!
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I agree, I'm not, but if we all try to smile, because the most powerful
0:13:43 > 0:13:47thing we've got is the people who are running this gym.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51And I've got 100% confidence that it will be an enormous success.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57After all the hard work,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00it was time for the new members to give their verdict.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04GUESTS CHATTER
0:14:04 > 0:14:08This is very exciting time for me because I'm starting a new business
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and I've never done that before.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I've ended a business, but I haven't actually started one.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Gerald and Tony decided not to put air conditioning
0:14:17 > 0:14:19throughout the club.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22They're saying, "When are you turning the air conditioning on?"
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I said, "If we turn it on, the floors warp."
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Have you done all that?
0:14:26 > 0:14:31I've said that air conditioning dries your mouth. Didn't work.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38- Cheers.- Well done, Tony. You've been a good partner.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- Have I?- You have.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43'Congratulations. Here's to The Workshop.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:50It was a wonderful evening for me, I loved it,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54and what I said to Tony was true, he was a great partner.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Gerald had to go on a promised family holiday to Portugal,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07leaving Tony in charge. He was becoming more and more worried
0:15:07 > 0:15:09about whether Tony was up to the job.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- 'Hello.'- Gerald?- 'Hi, Tony.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- How are you?- 'Fine, thanks.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20'Do you know how many members we've got at the moment?'
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- We're in the 600s somewhere. - 'Right. What, 601?'
0:15:24 > 0:15:28I'm not exactly sure, because we don't have our systems
0:15:28 > 0:15:30properly set up here yet.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- The pool they're filling with water tomorrow.- 'Oh, right. Good.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:38All the tiling is completed now - that looks fantastic.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40'Are you going to order the paving stones for around the pool?'
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Yeah, we'll have to get that sorted out.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Gerald returned from holiday
0:15:46 > 0:15:48to discover that the swimming pool still wasn't ready.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Tony hadn't ordered the paving stones and the filtration system.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58It drove me mad on my holiday because I kept phoning up every day
0:15:58 > 0:16:02asking about the pool house and I was told
0:16:02 > 0:16:05that it was starting tomorrow every day,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and in fact one day I was actually told it had started,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and it hadn't started.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11The creche was behind schedule
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and only 13 more memberships had been sold.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Gerald and the other investors
0:16:19 > 0:16:23decided that drastic action was needed.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27It was actually the last straw when Gerald come back from holiday
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and found that the swimming pool was not open.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The pool was absolutely finished, it even had water in it,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37but it didn't work because a little pool house needed to be ordered
0:16:37 > 0:16:41to enclose all the filtration.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43For some reason which I will never understand,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45that pool house was never ordered.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50I had a phone call from Tony on Friday afternoon.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54His actual words were, "I've got some terrible, terrible news."
0:16:54 > 0:17:01Michael Sears looked at me and said the club is disaster
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and that I'm responsible for it
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and the best thing he thinks can be done is that I step down.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Which was quite bizarre, really,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13because the club was successful.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16I think it was a bit harsh on Tony.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20As he said in that clip, it was a big success,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24but he was very annoying not ordering...
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Sorry to go on about this,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29but why did he not order the paving stones
0:17:29 > 0:17:31so we could build the pool house?
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It was so annoying that I came back from holiday
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and the pool was not operative.
0:17:38 > 0:17:44Having said all of that, he didn't deserve to go.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50Maybe it was a bit of a rash decision to tell him to go
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and perhaps I should apologise.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55But...
0:17:57 > 0:17:58..that was it.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Ratner decided to take over as general manager.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06When the pool was finally finished, he held his own launch party.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- Is there ketchup?- There will be.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Not sure it's ready yet. Let me give you one of these.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20- Gerald, you're burning the buns. - I know, I haven't got any tongs.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- SARAH:- I want my father to have a proper successful business.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I don't want him to worry about his gym,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I want him to have fun with it and also I want it to be successful
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and have a nice time.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41For Ratner, The Workshop had been a big success.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44For his former business partner, it was a different story.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Tony Colborne took the owners to court, claiming unfair dismissal.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50He lost the case.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56In 2001, Ratner decided to sell his stake in The Workshop.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02It was fantastic for me because I'd come from a situation
0:19:02 > 0:19:05where I didn't have any money, I didn't have a job,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I was unemployable, and here I was,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13I made a big success of the club,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16sold for £3.9 million.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20It meant everything to me, this club, it was a great stepping stone.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22It got me back on my feet.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25With the money he made from the health club,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Ratner has rebooted his career
0:19:27 > 0:19:30by launching an online jewellers.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33He's also keen to make a return to the fitness business.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35To find out how the industry's changed,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37he's going back to The Workshop.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's now owned by one of the country's biggest health club chains.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Manager Kate begins by showing him the pool.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Well, obviously this is the huge difference. I can't believe it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- It was outdoors, wasn't it? - It was outdoors.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Obviously we spent a lot of money on heating, stuff like that.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03We never covered it, but it does look fabulous, I have to say.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05They've done a fantastic job.
0:20:08 > 0:20:14This is like a really hard-working looking place, you know,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19that you'd really go to a serious gym where you do serious workouts.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I think that's one of the biggest things now,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26they used to be more leisure clubs and now they are gyms.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28The Workshop may have changed,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32but for Ratner, it's a reminder of how he re-launched his career.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34We created a health club from nothing.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I'm very proud that people have come here over the years.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40They wouldn't have done it if we hadn't had the idea
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and started it from scratch.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45But Ratner's success came at price -
0:20:45 > 0:20:49the end of his partnership with Tony Colborne.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53For him, rebuilding his career would mean looking for new horizons.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06I often reflect on the period of being involved with The Workshop
0:21:06 > 0:21:08and with Gerald and with others there
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and it bothers me. It's bothered me constantly for years,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16partly because I had a good relationship with Gerald.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20I left The Workshop,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and it took me a little while to gather my thoughts,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26because I'd put quite a lot of effort into that.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31After being sacked by his former business partners,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Colborne began to search for new opportunities.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Soon after, I went back to the City where I'd previously been
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and I established a software company
0:21:43 > 0:21:47which was focusing on the Lloyds of London commercial insurance market,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and we worked hard at that
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and over a number of years it became very, very successful.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Colborne decided to sell his company in 2006,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01in a deal worth nearly £12 million.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04It was a life-changing moment.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08The sale of that business gave me a cushion
0:22:08 > 0:22:11to enable me to develop in areas
0:22:11 > 0:22:14that I wanted to be involved in.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Today, Colborne's business interests
0:22:17 > 0:22:21include developing eight luxury properties in Morocco.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24They're very large properties, maybe six to eight bedrooms
0:22:24 > 0:22:25with staff accommodation.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I'm building these houses
0:22:28 > 0:22:34for people that want to perhaps spend more time in Morocco.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35In 2011,
0:22:35 > 0:22:41Colborne finally decided it was time to heal his rift with Ratner.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I've sort of agonised over that for years,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46particularly when things go wrong, it always reflects back
0:22:46 > 0:22:49to that particular time,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and I just decided that my life's not all that bad
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and I thought it was something I would aim to deal with.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I don't want to live with that anger and bitterness.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Today, Ratner and Tony Colborne are finally meeting
0:23:07 > 0:23:09to discuss their acrimonious split.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It did make a big impression on me,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18and the unfortunate way that it ended, and I don't, as you don't,
0:23:18 > 0:23:23like to leave things in the air, the bitterness that obviously was there,
0:23:23 > 0:23:28so it's nice it's been resolved by you contacting me.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34As soon as you did that, I immediately was delighted.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Really, I should have got in touch with you,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41you were the one that was hard done by, not me,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45but what made you bury the hatchet, so to speak?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47I felt I wanted to deal with it,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50because I've been having too many bad thoughts about things
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and we always had a good relationship and had a lot of fun.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56We did, we really did.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00But I was very unhappy about what happened at that time.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03A lot of work went into building that club
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and I was particularly pleased that it did complete.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10It was a fantastic success, and a lot of it down to you.
0:24:10 > 0:24:16You did a fantastic job in terms of initially buying the site,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19marketing it, the advertising.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22There were certain things that were frustrating,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25that were taking a long time after it was open,
0:24:25 > 0:24:31and when I came back from holiday, I was really upset.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I wanted to come back and see people swimming in the pool,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37that's what I was always hoping.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39But you were on holiday a week before it opened.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43You said to me you should always leave the party with who you arrive,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- you remember that?- Yeah, yeah!
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- But when it came to it, you didn't do that.- That is bad. - I'm disappointed about that.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50It's still in business,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54people are still going there every day after 15 years,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and so therefore that's great.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Which you created, or we created.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Yeah, we'd done that and had a lot of good times.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06No, I'd heard that you did well and it's been nice...
0:25:07 > 0:25:12You know, cos immediately we've got this same rapport we had then,
0:25:12 > 0:25:13which I missed in a way,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17I don't want to get too cheesy about it, but we got on well.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19We did, yeah.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21And I hope we can keep in touch.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24What plans have you got now? Got any plans to do anything new?
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- Well, I'm thinking of going back into the health club business.- Oh, really?
0:25:28 > 0:25:32But this time not a luxury health club where you just lie around
0:25:32 > 0:25:35by a swimming pool or go into the beauty area, sit in the bar,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40but something much more functional, and I'm thinking of rock climbing.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46He persuades Tony to visit their local climbing centre.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48It's a chance to see how the business works
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and to try out it for himself.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52I am scared of heights,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56but I suppose if I'm going to do this as a business,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I should try it at least once.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- How's that feeling? - Well, I'm not looking down.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- OK, do you want to pause there a moment, Gerald?- Yeah.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07You're nice and tightly secured. Do you want to have a look at me?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09No.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10SHE LAUGHS
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Can I just step down a bit? - Yeah, that's fine.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- Gerald, if you look down at me a minute.- I'd rather just step down.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22That's all right. Hold onto your knot.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24That's it, now push your feet against the wall.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Trust it. Lovely. - I've got you now, yeah.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Yeah? Got it? Happy? - Yes, happier now.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Leave your feet where they are. Leave them there a moment.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Don't move them. Keep them there
0:26:35 > 0:26:37until you get lower into a seated position.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- With you now.- Lovely. Walk them down the wall.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- I see.- You got it. Fantastic first climb. Well done.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Yeah. So I should have done that a bit earlier.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Yeah, don't worry, nice work.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- Great. Tony, do you want to try it? - You're alive, you're alive!
0:26:53 > 0:26:54- Yeah.- Yeah? Well done.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I've done that, that's great, I'm not doing it again!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I didn't particularly enjoy it because it was terrifying,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06but from a business point of view, I'm convinced even more so
0:27:06 > 0:27:10that it's got to be incorporated into a health club.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Ratner may be enthused,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14but his former business partner remains doubtful
0:27:14 > 0:27:17about his climbing centre concept.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It's a very niche market, though, isn't it?
0:27:20 > 0:27:25No, exercise...it's exercise... leisure - it's the biggest market,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27everybody is into health and fitness.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Tony remains sceptical, but after healing his rift with Ratner,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33he's at least lending him his support.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I think Gerald did very well.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40I think with a bit more practice he'll be on top of the highest wall.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Ratner's even hopeful their reunion may be the first step
0:27:45 > 0:27:47towards a future collaboration.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- Maybe I'll try it one day. - Come along, give it a go.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53And you'll say, "Gerald...
0:27:53 > 0:27:54"You're right."
0:27:54 > 0:27:59- "I wish I had invested at that time."- "I wish I had invested at this time."
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Or you might say, "I can still invest with you, Gerald."
0:28:04 > 0:28:08It's not too late, because I still haven't found anywhere yet!
0:28:24 > 0:28:27# I don't know how I'm gonna tell you
0:28:29 > 0:28:32# I can't play with you no more
0:28:34 > 0:28:39# I don't know how I'm gonna do what Mama told me
0:28:40 > 0:28:46# My friend, the boy next door... #
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd