Has Dragons’ Den become The Steven Bartlett Show? As entrepreneurs shun other investors to partner with the Diary of a CEO host, brand expert claims he’s bringing a generation of younger business people

Dragon’s Den viewers have branded Steven Bartlett the new ‘main guy’ of the BBC show, saying all the entrepreneurs are eager to seek funding from him above the other investors.

Ever since joining the BBC programme as an investor in 2021, audiences and fellow ‘Dragons’ alike have noticed that some ambitious business owners seem to go on the show exclusively for the Diary of a CEO podcaster, who is 31 years old.

And speaking to FEMAIL, a branding expert revealed that he leads a ‘younger, fresher’ front of show regulars who are not just social-media savvy but  connected with other entrepreneurs.

‘Steven Bartlett is a true rags to riches story, and more importantly, his story is incredibly relatable, and made for a modern market,’ Hayley Knight – co-founder and Communications Director at BE YELLOW PR agency – said.

‘He also brings young, fresh and relevant blood to both Dragon’s Den and entrepreneurship in general, and his main audience is young, aspiring entrepreneurs, and has inspired a new generation of business leaders.’

She explained that Steven’s ‘modern movement’ cannot be underestimated when it comes to entrepreneurship.

‘He has made positive success seem achievable and reachable, especially to those from underrepresented backgrounds – there has never been a young Black man on the show, and this is an incredibly important and vital shift in order to boost diversity within entrepreneurship,’ Hayley added. ‘Role models and representation are powerful tools.’

She also explained that his online presence has amassed him with a huge switched-on network of fans. The entrepreneur has 1.7 million followers on TikTok alone – where fans have left more than 36.3 million likes. Elsewhere, he has 3.2 million followers on Instagram. 

‘Steven has blown up during the social media era, so has connected directly to an engaged audience (especially on TikTok and through his podcast),’ Hayley continued.

‘People can actively see his growth, development and listen to his advice, and he goes on tours, so people feel an alliance with him, and more connected, more so than older, or less connected entrepreneurs, which is why he does so well on Dragon’s Den.

‘We also live in a time where university is no longer the best, or only option if you want to succeed, and Steven is showing people they have more options available to them.’

Moreover, his advice feels ‘current’ because he ‘knows what his audience needs to hear’.

‘He can also draw controversy, which creates even more intrigue and engagement on his behalf,’ Hayley said.

‘Steven has been a refreshing addition to the show, and though the overall Dragons carry a variety of knowledge, experience and contacts, I hope that Steven can lead the way in bringing in younger, fresher entrepreneurial faces that people can relate to.

‘I will never take away the success that the other Dragons have achieved, or the value they bring to the table, but seeing newer faces such as Whitney Wolfe Herd or Ayesha Ofori join the panel, even as a guest for a series would do so much for young entrepreneurship.’

It comes as, during Thursday night’s programme, the business owner made his biggest investment since joining the series – after offering £250,000 to a lab-grown diamond jewellery brand loved by Meghan Markle.

And viewers and investors alike saw that Kimaï’s founders, Antwerp-born friends Sidney Neuhaus and Jessica Warch, clearly only had one Dragon in mind from the get-go.

The diamond entrepreneurs were frustrated with the lack of supply chain transparency across the industry, so pioneered the use of 100 per cent traceable lab-grown diamonds.

Founded in 2018, the brand was worn by The Duchess of Sussex in 2019 during a royal engagement in London and is a favourite of Emma Watson and Jessica Alba, while Diane von Fürstenberg was the first female investor to back the business.

Prices for Kimaï jewellery range from £225 for a single stud earring to £12,195 for a Toi et Moi engagement ring.

The Belgian-born duo requested £250,000 for a three per cent equity stake in their luxury jewellery brand.

They received three offers – from Steven, Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies. Sara kicked off the negotiations as she offered them ‘all of the money for the 3 per cent they’ve asked for’.

Next, Deborah – who stressed that she’s ‘quite known for her jewellery’ – wanted 5 per cent in exchange for the £250,000.

Steven offered the same as Deborah, impressing his branding expertise on the entrepreneurs. 

However, Sidney and Jessica surprised all the investors when they said no to all offers.

A baffled Peter Jones asked: ‘You came in asking for a quarter of a million for 3 per cent, you’ve been given that offer, and you’ve rejected it?’

‘We just think the value added is important to us,’ Jessica explained. ‘And I think, definitely what you said, Steven, about everything that comes with building a brand is really what we value most. But unfortunately, we won’t be able to take it at that valuation.’

‘They came for Steven, they’re quite clear,’ Deborah added. 

Eventually swayed over, Steven, 31, now backs the London-based fine jewellery company in exchange for a 3 per cent equity stake.

The deal is the biggest investment made by The Diary Of A CEO podcast host since he first joined the programme in 2021.

Taking to social media, many felt like it was clear that Steven has become the entrepreneurs’ favourite.

‘It’s getting a bit ridiculous now they all want Steven,’ one said. ‘It’s pointless the others being there!’

A second added: ‘All the entrepreneurs want Steven now, he’s the main guy.’

Elsewhere, another wrote that ‘these women came for Steven’. 

Jessica and Sidney presented each judge with a piece of jewellery to showcase their designs, and Steven was particularly impressed with his £16,000 lab-grown diamond ring.

The duo explained their profits over the past few years, and how Meghan Markle played a significant part in spiking sales.

In 2019, the pair made £350,000 in revenue and a net loss of minus £350,000. The second year of trading saw a revenue of £890,00 and a net loss of minus £350,000 again.

Last year, sales spiralled, and they made £3 million, with a net loss of £100,000. ‘And this year, we’re on track to do £5 million, and a profit of £500,000,’ Jessica told the judges.

She continued: ‘We’ve launched without investment, and then two months after our launch we got Meghan Markle to wear our pieces, which enabled us to grow the revenue significantly, and from there we raised $1.2 million.’

Steven questioned the duo on how they got the Duchess of Sussex sporting their jewellery, to which they replied: ‘Cold emails’, ‘We’re big believers in cold emails,’ Jessica added.

Several of the Dragons fought to be picked by the brand’s founders as the duo received offers from Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies. 

‘You’ve got us all mesmerised,’ Deborah said while calculating her offer. She praised the company for its sustainable values and offered Jessica and Sidney their asking price in exchange for a five per cent equity stake of the business.

Sara offered the pair the total sum of money they asked for in return for three per cent. ‘You two are very good in this space,’ she said. 

Next, Peter attempted to lure the founders in with his connections in the industry, ‘I’m very close friends with the owners of Cartier,’ he said. But Peter failed to match the requirements after hearing the offers from other judges. 

Ultimately, it was Steven who managed to secure investment in Kimaï. ‘The moment you told be about hounding down Meghan Markle, you had me,’ he said. 

Steven offered the duo their asking price in exchange for a five per cent equity stake of the company, which they rejected. Jessica’s negotiating skills successfully haggled Steven down to the original three per cent Kimaï offered.  

Kimaï’s global e-commerce is growing at a rapid rate of 120 per cent year-over-year, as the online market for sustainable fine jewellery is on the rise.

‘They are two of the most impressive entrepreneurs I have ever seen in the Den’, said Steven. ‘Rock solid on their numbers, vision and convictions. Kind, humble, smart, tenacious and passionate.

‘Annoyingly, really incredible negotiators – which is annoying as an investor but perfect as business partners, so I’m happy to be in business with them.

‘They are the absolute full house. I’m going to support them in any and every way I can – I’ll bring a wealth of knowledge to the business as it relates to marketing, innovation, community growth, scaling and I’m planning to use my vast network of contacts to open doors that will help to accelerate their incredible business even more’.

Crafted without environmentally harmful mining practices, the firm’s sustainable stones are said to be physically, optically and chemically identical to mined counterparts. 

Using cutting-edge technology, labs are able to replicate the heat and pressure that create natural diamonds found in the earth. These sustainable gems can also provide 100 per cent supply chain traceability. 

Catering to an eco-conscious clientele, the brand offers a range of lab-grown diamond and recycled 18k gold earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings and is proud to be one of the few fine jewellery labels to be certified B-corp.

Kimaï will be working with Steven and his team to amplify their digital presence, and the investment will be used to elevate the customer experience at the brand’s flagship store in Marylebone, London.

‘We know that lab-grown diamonds are the future’, said co-founders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus.

‘Sharing our story on such a huge platform like Dragons Den was a unique opportunity to help spread the word about this relatively new technology, which allows beautiful diamonds and jewellery to be made, without costing the earth.’