Dragons Den: Touker Suleyman

[ABoyCalledBasil]

I start by saying that I don't really like Touker Suleyman so this isn't coming from a place of fandom - but it seems to me that his treatment by the other Dragons is coming very close to bullying. It seemed v much that way to me tonight - Jones has always picked on him and now the young tech guy is joining in too.

Apparently psychologists say that a common way for any group (work or social) to bond is to join together against a joint "enemy" - in other words find someone in common to slag off. It's why in any social group there is a 'weakest link' and if they leave, the next weakest one becomes the least popular. It's also why in work groups often everyone slags off the manager and actors slag off the director.

Seemed to me the young one was joining in with that as there is a precedent of picking on Touker as the least popular.

Like I said, I don't really warm to him but it seems more and more prevelant and I don't like seeing bullying or something moving towards bullying presented as entertainment or endorsed.

I've been trying to find episodes of Tycoon on youtube to show my DC. Sadly no longer seem to be available, but gosh that did not show PJ in a good light. But he has built his Tycoon brand on the back of it.

I've read that most of the investments fail at the diligence stage and never complete.

Doesn't surprise me. Off the top of my head, I can name Trunki and Reggae Reggae Sauce as being success stories. I can't think of any others.

Trunki was one they passed on 😃Theo Paphitis ripped one of the straps off a suitcase and convinced everyone children would die horribly as a result of the straps coming off so easily, so everyone said 'nope'.

Sadly, I think this show has gone the way of many others - staged, scripted and no longer about true business. Same as The Apprentice.

I wish producers would leave shows alone. The real candidates, when these programmes first started were much more interesting. Now false, predictable and poor.

I think Touker is the only one who sees Steven’s bullshit for what it is and is prepared to call him out on it.

Sugru is absolutely brilliant to mend stuff if you've never used it. It is better than the Dragon's Den product because as you say it doesn't even need heating. It's like blue tak or modelling clay in a sealed pack and after you've moulded it, it sets as it dries just in normal air. It's great for phone cable splits and any plastic stuff. I love it.

When I've tried it, I've found it's only usable for a relatively short time after you buy it, so it's not worth buying unless you've got a load of stuff to repair. Leave it any length of time and it gets dry and useless. Or should I be trying the hot water trick?

I preferred DD when it was eccentric inventors with a great idea that genuinely needed a Dragon to help. Now they seem to want them to already be so successful it's pointless them giving away shares in the company. As a pp said, they just want the advertising these days.

Absolutely.

I think it’s all down to the editing, he gives as good as he takes. Touker is very dismissive towards the participants and Steve Bartlett.

He is borderline aggressive at points. Horrible little man.

Exactly this. Steven isn’t the great entrepreneur he makes himself out to be:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/young-guru-rows-back-on-his-600m-deal-q8vxcxn66

@Rosula @thelionthewitchtheaudacityofTHISbitch
When I've tried it, I've found it's only usable for a relatively short time after you buy it, so it's not worth buying unless you've got a load of stuff to repair. Leave it any length of time and it gets dry and useless

You do need to use Sugru according to the instructions and it's worth having a look for comparable videos for whatever you want to fix for tips and hints. Smoothing the surface when you are done before it dries with a finger dipped in water with a hint of washing up liquid gives a very professional looking finish.

It comes in sealed individual packs with a little bit in. I wouldn't bother keeping half a bit if you haven't used it because as you say it dries out. You need to use the bit you open at the time you open it really or within a couple of days if you keep it in cling film.

You can extend the shelf life of the unopened packs by keeping them in the fridge apparently.

I'm a big fan. I managed to fix a completely broken front to a fridge drawer with it and it's held very well for years. It's also good for making more comfortable ergonomic hand grips on stuff with hard edges - like eg dustpan handles - as after you've applied it, you can grip it as you would normally and it takes on a shape that fits your hand perfectly.

I saw a tweet from Deborah recently talking about how the pitches are edited down. The longest “pitch” she remembered was 3 hours 😮

3 hours?! Bloomin' heck.

I just don't believe that. These are business people working with television people where time is really money. Both the dragons and the director/producer are more than capable of cutting people off or stopping them.

I seriously doubt anything was three hours; they would just move it along. If it was long at all it was probably because they were arguing with the dragons and they let it go to get good TV (like that seaweed woman remember her? that was hilarious).

There was an AMA on here with someone who's been on there and she said said her pitch/grilling lasted a few hours.

The hardest for me to watch was a pet food brand I’d supported for a while, great company, who went on the show, garnered great interest and an offer of the full £60k from Deborah who wanted 20% instead of their offered 10% and they said no and walked.

Never understood that one.

Touker is like a little man child, he can't take a joke and is incredibly defensive and quite slow witted when it comes to banter between the dragons. That said, I do find him weirdly likeable and unintentionally funny.

For a business man he seems to find it very hard to imagine why some people like things that he wouldn't I.e that vegan gousto style company, he got very angry about that, couldn't understand why people would pay for it.

Also he's obsessed with cheap labour and getting things made in taiwan or whatever, absolutely no ethics whatsoever.

Everyone remembers reggae reggae sauce but there's been lots of other success stories too.

One I saw on tiktok the other day was that lady who came in and had a low fat icecream company and made Theo Paphitas cry with her story, turns out she's the woman behind those "Kirsty" ready meals you see in the supermarket.

It's just male chest beating . Men being men . Probably showing off in front of female tv crew .

Sarah is most respectful and has stood up for him a couple of times.

I think even Sarah wanted to laugh in his face when she got the camper van guy over Touker

Sugru comes in sealed individual packs with a little bit in. I wouldn't bother keeping half a bit if you haven't used it because as you say it dries out. You need to use the bit you open at the time you open it really or within a couple of days if you keep it in cling film.

My problem is that it dries out relatively quickly even when unopened.

@Rosula

Keep it in the fridge and use it within 6 months of purchase.

I don't agree. I watched last week's episode and the one before and I think Touker is the bully. He really is quite rude and disparaging to the people who pitch if it's something he doesn't like.
I noticed it particularly last week, and commented to my DH... he just seems in such a bad mood. Irritable and unpleasant. I've gone right off him.