Duncan Bannatyne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duncan Bannatyne
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Bannatyne in Felixstowe, 2009
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| Born |
Duncan Walker Bannatyne
2 February 1949 |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, investor, television presenter, philanthropist |
| Known for | Dragons' Den |
| Spouse(s) |
Gail Brodie
(m. 1983; div. 1994)Joanne McCue
(m. 2006; div. 2012)Nigora Whitehorn
(m. 2017) |
| Children | 6 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1964–1969 |
Duncan Walker Bannatyne, who received an OBE, was born on February 2, 1949. He is a Scottish businessman, charity supporter, and author. He has owned many different types of businesses, including hotels, health clubs, spas, and media companies. He is most famous for being a "Dragon" on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. He was given the OBE award for his important work helping charities. He has also written seven books.
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Duncan Bannatyne's Early Life
Duncan Bannatyne was born in Dalmuir, a town west of Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Bill, was a soldier in World War II. He worked on the Burma Railway after being captured by the Japanese. Duncan grew up in a small space with his parents and siblings in a large house. Six other families also shared this house.
School Days and First Jobs
Duncan went to Dalmuir Primary School. He was very good at math there. He earned a place at Clydebank High School after passing an important test called the Eleven-plus. Most kids at his school had bicycles, so he wanted to earn money to buy one. He tried to get a job delivering newspapers. The local newsagent told him he needed to find 100 new customers first. Duncan surprised her by finding all 100 names. He later thought it would have been smarter to sell that list of names. At High School, he only liked PE and woodwork. He left school at 15 without any qualifications.
In 1964, after working for a short time as a cabinet-maker, he joined the Royal Navy. He served in the Navy for several years. This included time on a large ship called HMS Eagle. He left the Navy after an incident involving an officer. Duncan was 19 when this happened.
Duncan Bannatyne's Business Journey
Duncan spent his twenties trying different jobs. When he returned to Clydebank, he learned to fix farm vehicles. Then he traveled around the country repairing tractors. He lived on the island of Jersey for four years starting in 1974. There, he got a special license to drive large trucks (HGV). He worked as a deckchair attendant, an ice cream seller, and a hospital porter. He also met his first wife on the island. At 29, Duncan and his wife moved to Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. He has said that he was quite poor and did not have a bank account until he was 30 years old.
Starting His First Businesses
His business career really started when he moved to Stockton-on-Tees. He bought an ice cream van for £450. He quickly bought more vans and expanded his ice cream business.
He later sold the ice cream business for £28,000. After that, he started a nursing home business called Quality Care Homes. He sold this business for £26 million in 1997. He also owned a children's nursery chain called Just Learning, which he sold for £12 million.
Expanding into Health and Hotels
Duncan then started investing in health clubs. His company, Bannatyne Health Club & Spa, became very successful. He also bought hotels and other properties. In August 2006, he bought 26 health clubs from Hilton Hotels for £92 million. The Bannatyne Group is now the biggest independent chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom. As of July 2025, Bannatyne has 69 health clubs, 45 spas, and three hotels across the UK.
In 2018, his wealth was estimated to be around £280 million by the Sunday Times Rich List.
Duncan Bannatyne has written seven books. Some of his book titles include Anyone Can Do It, Wake Up and Change Your Life, and How to be Smart With Your Money.
Duncan Bannatyne on Television
From 2005 to 2015, Duncan Bannatyne was one of the "Dragons" on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. On the show, he invested his own money in 36 different businesses. He left the show after the twelfth series.
In 2015, Duncan took part in the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He donated the money he earned from being on the show to the Operation Smile charity.
In 2020, Duncan also appeared in the BBC series The Real Marigold Hotel. He joined other famous people on this show.
Duncan Bannatyne's Charity Work
Duncan Bannatyne received his OBE award partly because of his work with charities like Mary's meals. He has helped fund many projects in Romania over ten years. One project was Casa Bannatyne in Târgu-Mureş, a special home for orphans with HIV and AIDS. He invested £80,000 in this project. He also started the Bannatyne Charitable Trust in March 2008.
In May 2008, Duncan supported the "Geared for Giving" Campaign. This campaign encourages business leaders in the UK to help their employees donate to charities directly from their pay. He also helped Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank promote this program.
In August 2008, Duncan appeared on the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He won £20,000 for the charity NCH.
He became the President of the charity No Smoking Day in October 2008. This charity helps people who want to stop smoking.
In August 2010, he became a Patron for PC David Rathband's Blue Lamp Foundation. This charity was started by a police officer who was blinded after being shot.
Duncan Bannatyne's Personal Life
Duncan Bannatyne lives in Portugal. He married Nigora Whitehorn on June 3, 2017. He has six children. Four children, Hollie, Abigail, Jennifer, and Eve, are from his first marriage. Two children, Emily (born 1999) and Thomas (born 2002), are from his second marriage. He also has several grandchildren.
He has received honorary degrees from two universities. On July 5, 2006, Glasgow Caledonian University gave him an honorary doctorate of science for his work in business and charity. On February 6, 2009, Teesside University gave him an honorary doctorate of business administration.
His 60th birthday was celebrated with parties in London and the North East of England. Many famous people attended these parties.
Duncan has openly talked about having had cosmetic surgery under his eyes. He also had an acting role in a TV comedy pilot called Girl's Club. In 2011, he shared that he has prosopagnosia. This condition makes it hard for him to recognize familiar faces.
