Meet the New Dragons Dragons' Den

Series 15.

And two new business heavyweights enter the Den.

But who are they and are they ready

for a financial fight?

It's day one in the Den, for a brand-new series.

-How are you?

-All right. How are you doing?

And at these secret Dragon HQ, there's an arrival.

TRUMPET FANFARE

It's a new Dragon number one, Jenny C.

I'm Jenny Campbell.

I'm best known in the business world as Queen of Cash...

KERCHING!

..because I took a very ailing cash machine business

and turned it around into a very successful business.

By the time I sold the business,

we were turning over 30 million

and dispensing billions of cash out of our cashpoints.

-Hi, Jenny.

-You are not the first bored and disillusioned bankers

to come into the Den. I resonate with that.

And it's amazing what great entrepreneurs we make.

Great entrepreneurs indeed, Jenny!

Speaking of which,

new Dragon number two's turned up.

And he's so cool.

Wow.

I am Tej Lalvani.

I run the UK's largest vitamin company.

KER-CHING!

I come from a family of entrepreneurs.

My father and his brother have come from India, and about 60,

70 years ago, they landed in the UK

and they set up their companies.

As a kid, I started at the warehouse,

sticking labels on boxes and, sort of, grew from there.

Have you had experience of running a business?

I have a property portfolio, yes.

That is a very different thing to launching a new product.

You're not facing reality.

So, that's our newbies.

-Hi, Tej.

-Hi, Jenny. How are you?

-Great to meet you.

But now I think it's time they spend some quality time together.

-Have a chat, do some Dragon bonding.

-Can't wait to meet

the entrepreneurs, find out what's happening,

make the investments, meet the other Dragons.

We're not going to be subservient to the kings and queens of the Den.

-No. We'll show them the new way.

-Yeah.

Unless I'm missing something, I think this is barking mad.

But why do you need £600,000 today if you haven't got a plan for it?

As one of the new Dragons, I come with a blank sheet of paper,

-which means I've got time, capacity...

-Excuse me.

-..focus.

-Before we deviate...

-It's my piece now.

-I'm defending my position.

Now, they're Dragons.

Risk is they will talk business for the next hour,

so here are some questions I prepared earlier. Jenny, you first.

-Whoops, that's me, then.

-OK, fire away.

-Here we go, Tej.

What is your first memory of Dragons' Den

and how long have you wanted to be one?

Well, my first memory of Dragons' Den must be at least ten years ago.

And Peter, Deborah, Duncan, Theo and, maybe, James Khan.

Very inspiring.

I did think, "One day, I'd love to be up there."

Right, Jenny, I've got one for you.

So, what are you most dreading coming into the Den?

You don't want to make a fool of yourself, do you?

You want to be an absolute professional.

I don't know whether to laugh, cry or be angry but, absolutely, no way.

You know, you've all got to have a decent set of questions

to ask the entrepreneur. Who goes first? Do you interrupt each other?

When do you go for a bid or not a bid?

-There's quite a psychological game in the Den.

-Yeah.

It's all about trying to get ahead.

I think you've got to be in your own zone and just feel

the body language from either side.

A-a-a-h-h-h!

Here we go, Tej.

What's your signature look going to be in the Den?

Well, it's got to be the thoughtful chin position, I think.

Well, that's been done. So done.

Not done properly, though, not like this.

-I think Mr Jones has had the chin.

-I don't think he did it right.

And what about these legs? You've got one leg up on your knee.

-That's a bit casual.

-Well, I feel more relaxed and comfortable

with my legs in this position and, you know, that way,

-I'm cool and relaxed.

-And you know with body language,

that says to me that you're going to co-invest with Deborah

and then, when you do it the other way,

it says to me you are going to co-invest with Peter.

I just think you're going to do all these co-invests

-cos you're risk-averse.

-Well, maybe I'm a sharing, caring Dragon.

-I'm the arm-wrestling Dragon.

-OK!

-We'll find out in the Den soon enough.

-We will find out.

Tej.

Let's do it.

Do what?

That will all be revealed in due course. But where's Jenny now?

-Where are you, Jenny?

-It's quite surreal, actually.

This is where the entrepreneurs obviously stand

before they come into the Den and I, sort of, feel like

one of those entrepreneurs at the moment. Here we go.

I am known as Treble D Jenny - and it's not my bra size.

It stands for drive, dedication, and determination.

And it's got me where I am today

and it will get me where I'm going in the future.

Wow! The Den, in all its glory. Five chairs

and one for me. I think I'm going to try the one in the middle!

Eeh! I wonder whose seat this one is.

I think it's...

Deborah Meaden's.

I'm exasperated. Are you hearing these words?

Oh, I think I better move, quick.

If you can all start off by looking into the light above me.

Blimey, she didn't half move quick. Look, she's in

her fancy Dragon frock now.

And Tej is looking pretty dapper, too.

I think he's got good taste, I just hope his business brain

is as good as the way he dresses.

I think you've got a fan, Tej.

But who do you think is the most dazzling Dragon, Deborah?

Oh, certainly not me.

As a businessperson, if people are not competent,

I don't have time for that. They need to be on the ball

and switched on and there's very little time for error.

I think I like Tej's serious side.

He can channel that for the filming of the title sequence...

And three, two, one...

..otherwise known as sitting in front of a big green cloth

-looking moody.

-I'm a fan of his business,

but I'm looking forward to meeting him in the Den and doing battle.

-Likewise. Can I get a discount on one of your cameras?

-Yes.

-Brilliant.

Oh, I haven't felt such a pulse of Dragon bromance

since PJ and Duncan were together in the Den.

I mean, Peter Jones and Duncan Ballantyne, of course.

Break a leg, new Dragons.

Before you break any legs, new Dragons,

there's just time to answer some more really probing questions.

-What does a first-class stamp costs?

-64 pence.

I would spend 35p on a first-class stamp.

Can I just check, am I awake? Is this real?

You are awake, Deborah. He really did say 35p.

However, Jenny was only a penny out. It's 65.

The first car I owned?

Oh, a...mini-van.

A battered old Renault 11, blue colour, automatic,

which broke in the first week.

It was so cool, because I decked it all inside with fur fabric,

all over the roof and all over the dashboard.

-It took me hours, but it looked brilliant.

-You see, that's lovely.

That's really lovely.

-But...it's still stupid.

-Moving on...

What's your best chat-up line?

I'm a Dragon.

-WHISPERING:

-Go on.

Nothing too clever. Quite simple. "Hi, how are you?

"I'm Tej. What's your name?"

Well, I suppose it worked on Mrs Lalvani.

What's your guilty pleasure?

If I had to single one out, it would be...watches.

Gin and tonic - and lots of it.

That's why I'm called Jen and Tonic.

What past Den investment do you wish you had made?

I think the one that got away. The Trunki investment, the suitcases.

-No surprises there.

-They're lightweight and durable,

made out of the same material as adult suitcases are.

Oh, I wish I'd been here for the craft gin club last year.

-Ooh, it's really good.

-That would've been mine.

Judging from your last answer, Jenny,

I suppose that's no surprise, either.

And which one of you two is going to be the first to get an investment?

-Me.

-Me, of course.

I'm in for the right one, but if I have to compete with Tej, it's mine.

So, the new Dragons are ready for battle

and take to their seats for the greatest business show on Earth.

If you do not get a Dragon to invest today, you're in trouble.

I actually think you're wasting everyone's time.

You've said we're not listening. I haven't actually said anything yet.

Never stand in front of anybody EVER again

and say, "You're better than me."

-I think you're very investable.

-You've done a fantastic job.

I am the one Dragon that can take you to where you want to go.

I have no interest in sharing it. I'm a selfish Dragon.

-This is powerful.

-Oh! Sorry!