Dragon’s Den star accuses co-Dragons of ‘bullying’ and reveals moment that saw him threaten to QUIT BBC show

A DRAGON’S Den star has accused his co-stars of ‘bullying’ and revealed he threatened to quit the BBC show over an incident with one participant. Australian investor Richard Farleigh was a Dragon on the show during its third and fourth seasons before being axed. Dragon’s Den star Richard Farleigh has claimed other Dragons on the BBC show ‘bullied’ contestants – revealing he was shocked at how the show worked behind the scenes Credit: BBC Richard appeared on series three and four of Dragon’s Den and was axed in 2007 Credit: Shutterstock Richard starred alongside Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, and Theo Paphitis during his time on the series. Now, he has opened up about the show – and claimed it’s not all as it may appear on screen. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! Admitting he was ‘surprised’ at what was going on behind the scenes, Richard said in a new LinkedIn post: “I’d watched the show before, but that didn’t ease the nerves once the cameras started rolling. “4 weeks of intense, close-up filming, where I had to appear relaxed, charismatic, and clever. There was no formal training beforehand. I’m not sure such training even exists! “For the contestants, it was a terrifying experience. And for many, it was the most important day of their business lives. “Contestants weren’t allowed to see the set before filming, so when they walked in, they were immediately confronted with 5 intimidating dragons and a production crew of about 20 members, all watching closely. The dragons had all the advantages.” Richard went on to claim that show bosses wanted to make the dragons look good, but the same couldn’t be said for contestants. “I was shocked by how nasty some of the other dragons were,” said Richard. Most read in TV He continued: “The producers said the show needed a bit of nastiness – otherwise, contestants would have nothing to lose. There would be no sense of jeopardy. “As a result, the dragons would often over-criticise a presentation or contestant to the point of ridicule. “It was an unfair game – the dragons didn’t have much at stake, sitting comfortably in their chairs and sounding clever, while contestants had everything to lose. “Occasionally, it even felt like bullying, which made me uncomfortable.” Richard was brought up in foster care before gaining a scholarship to university and becoming an investment banker – and later a multi-millionaire. And after seeing how one contestant with a similar upbringing to him was treated, Richard claims he threatened to quit the series. He wrote: “I was once asked to speak with a contestant after the filming because he was so upset. ‘You’re either stupid or dishonest, or probably both’, had been thrown at him. I was shocked. “He confided in me that he, too, had come through the care system and had hoped I would be the dragon to invest. “I told the director, politely, that if that footage ever made it on air, I would quit the show and publicly condemn it.” Richard said the moment was never aired in the end. Following the show’s fourth season in 2007, Richard was axed and admitted he was “gutted” to be leaving the show. His replacement as a Dragon was tycoon James Caan, who remained for four series before quitting in 2011. The BBC has declined to comment on Richard’s new claims. Comment now