29 Facts About Duncan Bannatyne

Duncan Bannatyne is most famous for his appearance as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons' Den.

Duncan Bannatyne was appointed an OBE for his contribution to charity.

Duncan Bannatyne attended Dalmuir Primary School where he displayed a talent for arithmetic and won a place at Clydebank High School after passing the Eleven plus exam.

Duncan Bannatyne called her bluff by returning with 100 names, but later reflected that it would have been more entrepreneurial to have sold the list.

Duncan Bannatyne only enjoyed PE and woodwork at the High School and left at 15 without any qualifications.

Duncan Bannatyne served in the Navy for several years including a spell on the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, before throwing an officer off a boat landing jetty in Scotland and receiving a dishonourable discharge.

Duncan Bannatyne lived on the island of Jersey for four years from 1974 where he gained an HGV licence and earned a living through several jobs including deckchair attendant, ice cream seller and hospital porter.

Duncan Bannatyne surfed, partied and met his first wife on the island.

Duncan Bannatyne has stated that he was poor and did not have a bank account until the age of 30.

Duncan Bannatyne soon expanded by buying more vans during the period of the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars.

The Duncan Bannatyne Group is the largest independent chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom with 71 sites.

Duncan Bannatyne has written seven books: Anyone Can Do It, Wake Up and Change Your Life, How to be Smart With Your Money, How to be Smart With Your Time, 43 Mistakes Businesses Make, 37 Questions Everyone in Business Needs to Answer, and Riding The Storm.

From 2005 until 2015, Duncan Bannatyne was a Dragon on the BBC television series Dragons' Den.

In 2015, Duncan Bannatyne took part in the fifteenth series of I'm a Celebrity.

In 2020, Duncan Bannatyne took part in the BBC series The Real Marigold Hotel.

Duncan Bannatyne joined other celebrities including Britt Ekland, Henry Blofeld, John Altman, Susie Blake, and Barbara Dickson.

Duncan Bannatyne received his OBE partly in recognition for his work with charities such as Mary's meals.

Duncan Bannatyne established the Bannatyne Charitable Trust in March 2008.

On 19 May 2008, Duncan Bannatyne added his support to the launch of the Geared for Giving Campaign at the House of Commons to encourage UK business leaders to set up and promote a Workplace Giving scheme to benefit UK registered charities with tax effective donations through employees' pay.

Duncan Bannatyne then helped to promote Clydesdale Bank's and Yorkshire Bank's efforts to promote the programme through ATM rolls.

Duncan Bannatyne became President of the charity No Smoking Day in October 2008.

Duncan Bannatyne supported the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher, but switched to support New Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Duncan Bannatyne voiced his support for Brown, but criticised the Cabinet for what he described as "petty squabbles based on personal ambition".

In March 2011, Duncan Bannatyne appeared to switch political affiliations again, by backing certain measures imposed in Chancellor George Osborne's budget even though he mocked the government a few months earlier.

Duncan Bannatyne voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum on that issue.

Duncan Bannatyne has several grandchildren, including Ava and Austin, from his eldest daughter.

Duncan Bannatyne was awarded an honorary doctorate of science by Glasgow Caledonian University on 5 July 2006 for services to business and charity.

Duncan Bannatyne was awarded an honorary doctorate of business administration from Teesside University, on 6 February 2009.

Duncan Bannatyne openly discussed having had cosmetic surgery under his eyes on The Graham Norton Show; had an acting role in the Tyne Tees Television comedy pilot Girl's Club where amongst other actors, he performed alongside the actress Georgia Taylor.