Enjoy Celebrity Radio’s Duncan Bannatyne Life Story Interview…..
Duncan Bannatyne, OBE (is a Scottish entrepreneur, philanthropist and author.
His business interests include hotels, health clubs, spas, media, TV, stage schools, property and transport. He is most famous for his appearance as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons’ Den. He was appointed an OBE for his contribution to charity.
He has written seven books: Anyone Can Do It, Wake Up and Change Your Life, How to be Smart With Your Money, How to be Smart With Your Time, 43 Mistakes Businesses Make, 37 Questions Everyone in Business Needs to Answer, and Riding The Storm.
In May 2013, it was reported that Bannatyne is £122m in debt, however he says this is a company debt and the company has assets of £230m
Alex went to meet him for business advice….
Recorded 2008 by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio and the BBC.
Duncan says:
“In my twenties, I moved to Jersey, where I met my first wife, and then to Stockton-on-Tees in the North East. It was there that my business career began, with an ice cream van bought for £450; I soon expanded by buying more vans and eventually sold the business for £28,000, founding a care home business instead. Quality Care Homes was sold for £26 million in 1996 and another business, children’s nursery chain Just Learning, for £22 million.
I have since branched into Health Clubs, with the popular Bannatyne’s Health Clubs chain, and also bars, hotels and property. We acquired 26 Health Clubs from Hilton Hotels back in August 2006, which made us the largest independent chain of Health Clubs in the United Kingdom.
In October 2008, in defiance of the credit, crunch I opened the £12,000,000 Bannatyne Spa Hotel in Hastings and also revamped the spa chain.
I was honoured with the Order of the British Empire for my contribution to charity and I support many good causes, especially for children. I am also heavily involved with Comic Relief and UNICEF, and I am a passionate anti-smoking campaigner.”
Recorded 2008 by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio and the BBC.
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