Throwback When I Went on Dragon's Den: Part 1

You may be reading this as a result of Dragon's Den just airing this evening. Let me tell you my story.

In February 2025 when my wife told me that an Assistant Producer from Dragons’ Den had reached out asking if we’d ever considered applying, my stomach flipped.

We'd watched the show for years, having a keen interest in other small businesses like ourselves. I’ve sat on the sofa watching all those entrepreneurs thinking, I’d answer that differently or how do they look so calm and collected under such pressure? But we’ve been in business for a decade. I assumed that ship had sailed. Surely the Dragons were looking for shiny start-ups, not a ten-year-old brand that’s grown steadily and organically?

Still — when you’re invited to apply, you don’t ignore it.

At the very least, it would be an incredible experience. A story to tell. And yes, brilliant exposure for the business, investment or not. So we filled in the form and pressed send.

What followed was intense.

Multiple rounds of interviews. Video submissions. Psychological assessments. A due diligence process that had me digging through years of financials and business documents to verify every claim. With each stage we passed, it started to feel real.

Then the email came: filming in Manchester two days after our Glampfest festival in May.

I had to perfect a pitch I’d been rehearsing in my head for days, decide which product to take into the Den (space restrictions ruled out my first two choices), load up the van with a Glawning, accessories and décor, and get myself some new threads from NEXT.

Arriving at the studio the day before filming felt surreal. A production crew helped me set up. Lights, cameras, the famous lift. It all looked exactly as you see it on TV — and completely bizarre to be standing there myself. I left for the hotel with nervous excitement… and, surprisingly, slept well.

6am call time. First in.

Green room. Fruit, coffee, junk food. A private side room where I paced and practised my script over and over. Makeup. Pre-Den interview. Questions about which Dragon I preferred, what I was hoping for.

Then the corridor. Being able to overhear the Dragons chatting about my product and trying to guess what it was all about. The photos on the wall. The “lift” (it's not even real!). Technicians on the other side. A pause that felt like forever.

And then the doors opened.

Five Dragons staring back at me: Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett, Deborah Meaden, Jenna Meek and Touker Suleyman.

I smiled. Walked to the X on the floor. Took a breath.

And delivered the pitch almost exactly as rehearsed.

Relief washed over me — briefly.

Because from that moment on, control disappeared. The questions came from every angle. Things I hadn’t prepared for. And, amusingly, not some of the things I had. The grilling lasted nearly two hours. By the end I was mentally and physically drained.

I’d always told myself I didn’t mind whether I got investment. And that was true. But when five experienced entrepreneurs say they’re out, one after the other, it still stings. You’ve put your life’s work on the table.

The final surreal moment? Standing in front of the lift to leave.

“You have to press the button,” Peter said.

I was tempted to point out that it’s not real — but instead I pressed it obediently and accepted my fate.

There was no time to process it. Straight into the post-Den interview. Then packing everything back into the van.

It was overwhelming. Exhausting. Exhilarating.

And looking back, one of the best things I’ve ever done.

I’m proud of what we’ve built. Proud that after ten years in business, we were even invited. Proud that I walked into that room and held my own on national television.

Whether the Dragons “got it” or not, I know there are viewers who will. People who love camping but want it to feel better — warmer, easier, less boring. That’s exactly why we built Glawning in the first place.

I’m writing this the night before the show airs. I have no idea how it’s been edited. They could make it look brilliant. They could make it look brutal. That’s television.

But whatever happens, I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity to showcase what Glawning is all about.

And if they do keep in the bit where Peter calls me “disingenuous”? Well — at least it’ll be memorable.

Part two coming after I’ve watched it.