The Dragons’ Den contestant said he was “wrongly humiliated” after taking part on the show, with producers changing the program to “make him look worse”.
John Nicholls, from Ledbury, Herefordshire, showcased his clever dog poo collection device on the BBC show in 2017, asking £45,000 for a 15% share in his business.
However, the 65-year-old admitted his nervousness and the intensity of the questions got the better of him when he suggested HandiScoop, which “offers a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to clean up after your dog”.
Despite receiving no offers and being mocked by the Dragons, he has earned almost £1.5 million since appearing on the show.
Talk to The sunJohn said the Dragons left him “humiliated” by the “unfair grilling” he received, particularly from tech mogul Peter Jones.
Peter, 58, reportedly broke down as he struggled to remember parts of his speech and apologized, stating he was dyslexic, to which the Dragon joked “Me too”.
John Nicholls, from Ledbury, Herefordshire, said he was “unfairly humiliated” at Dragon’s Den, but he managed to prove them wrong.
John said: “I asked him how he was going to pick it up with a normal bag, which can be messy and not pick it all up, and he shouted, ‘I’d just leave it.’ I was surprised by his response , he was very aggressive.
“You don’t think it’s going to happen when you pitch. It made me realize that he would be the last person in the world I would want to do business with.
John felt like Peter was trying to intimidate him by constantly fidgeting and even claimed that the business mogul had lost his temper.
These moments were apparently cut from the final show, which the HandiScoop founder says was edited to make it look worse.
Peter wasn’t the only investor unimpressed as Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins argued he wouldn’t want to “walk around with a big thing that says, ‘I’m wearing poo.’
John admitted that he did not hold the patent for part of the HandiScoop device, but explained that he held the exclusive license to sell the product.
In this brutal episode, Peter bluntly stated, “You just came in and tried to make an investment. »
John said the Dragons left him “humiliated” by the “unfair grilling” he received, particularly from tech tycoon Peter Jones (pictured).
John showcased his clever dog poo collection device on the BBC show in 2017, asking £45,000 for a 15% share in his business.
The Dragons’ reactions were so harsh that serial investor and Nightcap founder Sarah Willingham appeared to hide behind her notepad.
And fashion mogul Touker Suleyman added: “The product is okay but you can’t invest.”
The Dragons’ reactions were so harsh that serial investor and Nightcap founder Sarah Willingham appeared to hide behind her notepad.
John inevitably left empty-handed and even the show’s presenter, Evan Davies, said the den had been quite hard on him.
However, his difficult experience in the series made him more determined to succeed in proving the dragons wrong.
HandiScoop has made a turnover of £1.47 million since 2011, with almost £250,000 of stock flying off the shelves each year. One of its clients is retailer Pets At Home, which distributes the scoop to about 400 stores.
The device is a long-handled dog poop scoop with a bag-covered toothed head, meaning owners don’t need to use their hands to pick up after their pets.
HandiScoop has made a turnover of £1.47 million since 2011, with almost £250,000 of stock flying off the shelves each year.
One of its clients is retailer Pets At Home, which distributes the scoop to about 400 stores.
The device is a long-handled dog poop scoop with a bag-covered toothed head, meaning owners don’t need to use their hands to pick up after their pets.
HandiScoop claims that up to 100 poops could be collected using just a single scoop bag, which is therefore more environmentally friendly.
