Duncan Bannatyne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duncan Bannatyne
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Duncan 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, OBE (born 2 February 1949) is a Scottish businessman, charity supporter, and author. He owns businesses in hotels, health clubs, spas, and property. He is best known for being an investor on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. He received an OBE award for his important work with charities. He has also written seven books.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Duncan Bannatyne was born in Dalmuir, a town near Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Bill, was a soldier in World War II. He worked in a factory after the war. Duncan grew up in a small home with his parents and siblings. They shared a big house with other families.
He went to Dalmuir Primary School. He was very good at maths there. He earned a place at Clydebank High School after passing an important test. He wanted a bicycle like other kids. So, he decided to earn money to buy one.
He asked a local newsagent for a paper round. The newsagent challenged him to find 100 new customers. Duncan found all 100 names! He later thought it would have been smarter to sell the list. He only liked PE and woodwork at high school. He left school at 15 without any qualifications.
In 1964, Duncan joined the Royal Navy. He served for several years. After an incident, he left the Navy and moved on. He was 19 years old at the time.
Starting His Business Journey
Duncan spent his twenties trying different jobs. He trained as a mechanic and repaired tractors. He lived on the island of Jersey for four years. There, he worked as a deckchair attendant, an ice cream seller, and a hospital porter. He also met his first wife on the island.
At age 29, Duncan and his wife moved to Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. He has said he was quite poor back then. He didn't even have a bank account until he was 30.
His business career truly began in Stockton-on-Tees. He bought an ice cream van for £450. He quickly bought more vans and grew his ice cream business. He later sold this business for £28,000.
After that, he started a nursing home business called Quality Care Homes. He sold this company for £26 million in 1997. He also created a children's nursery chain called Just Learning. He sold that for £12 million.
Duncan then expanded into health clubs. He now owns the Bannatyne Health Club & Spa chain. He also owns hotels and other properties. In 2006, he bought 26 health clubs from Hilton Hotels for £92 million.
The Bannatyne Group is now the largest independent chain of health clubs in the UK. It has 71 locations. The business also has 46 spas and operates 4 hotels. As of 2018, his wealth was estimated at £280 million.
Duncan Bannatyne has written seven books. Some of his book titles include Anyone Can Do It and Wake Up and Change Your Life.
Duncan on Television
From 2005 to 2015, Duncan was one of the "Dragons" on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. On the show, he listened to people's business ideas. If he liked an idea, he would invest his own money to help them. He invested in 36 businesses during his time on the show.
In 2015, Duncan took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. This is a reality TV show where celebrities live in a jungle camp. He donated the money he earned from 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 in this show.
Helping Others: Charity Work
Duncan Bannatyne received his OBE award partly because of his charity work. He has supported charities like Mary's meals. He has helped fund projects in Romania for ten years. One project was Casa Bannatyne in Târgu-Mureş. This was a special home for orphans with serious health conditions. He invested £80,000 in it. He also started the Bannatyne Charitable Trust in 2008.
In 2008, Duncan supported the Geared for Giving Campaign. This campaign encourages business leaders to help their employees donate to charities directly from their pay. He also helped promote this idea with banks like Clydesdale Bank.
He appeared on the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2008. He won £20,000 for the charity NCH.
In 2008, he became President of the charity No Smoking Day. This charity helps people who want to stop smoking. He also made a documentary about the tobacco industry.
In 2010, he became a patron for PC David Rathband's Blue Lamp Foundation. This charity helps emergency service workers who have been injured.
Duncan's Views on Politics
Duncan Bannatyne has changed his political support over the years. He supported the Conservative Party when Margaret Thatcher was in charge. Later, he supported the Labour Party when Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were leaders. He even donated money to the Labour Party.
In 2011, he seemed to support the Conservatives again. But in 2015, he changed his mind just before an election. He decided to vote for Labour. He said he admired Labour leader Ed Miliband's "courage" for a certain tax plan.
In 2016, Duncan voted for Brexit in the referendum. This was about whether the UK should leave the European Union.
Personal Life
Duncan Bannatyne lives in Portugal. He married Nigora Whitehorn in 2017. He has six children from his previous marriages: Hollie, Abigail, Jennifer, Eve, Emily, and Thomas. He also has several grandchildren.
He has received special honorary degrees from two universities. Glasgow Caledonian University gave him a doctorate in science in 2006. Teesside University gave him a doctorate in business administration in 2009. These awards recognized his achievements in business and charity.
His 60th birthday was celebrated with parties in London and the North East of England. Many famous people attended these parties.
Duncan has spoken openly about having a common condition called prosopagnosia. This condition makes it hard for him to recognize familiar faces.
