A former Dragons’ Den contestant has revealed that despite being rejected by ALL SIX dragons on the show, she is set to make £10 million with her business.
Lucie MacLeod, now 26, appeared on the show back in 2024 with the hope of mentorship for her business Hair Syrup.
It came about after she damaged her own hair as a teen and began creating her own homemade concoctions from the likes of avocado and eggs to fix the problem.
Following a viral TikTok video, it became a viable business venture and at the time of pitching, Lucie told the dragons that her business was worth £6,500,000 – and had made £4,500,000 in the most recent financial year.
What followed was an awkward discussion between the investors after she asked for £190,000 in exchange for a three percent stake in her business, telling the dragons that she would be willing to sell 1.5 percent to two of them as an alternative.
Touker then made her an ‘uncomfortable’ offer that he soon withdrew when the finances of Hair Syrup came under scrutiny.
Former Dragons’ Den contestant Lucie MacLeod, 26, has revealed that despite being rejected by SIX dragons on the show, she is set to make £10 million with her business
She appeared on the show back in 2024 with the hope of securing investment and mentorship for her business Hair Syrup but failed to secure investment when her finances came under scrutiny
But this didn’t stop Lucie from being a huge success and she has now confirmed to the Metro that she is on track to make a staggering £10,000,000 by 2028.
Lucie, who also pitched to Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sarah Davies, Stephen Bartlett and Trinny Woodall, said: ‘I really think there’s no way to play the game in there.
‘You don’t know how the conversation is going to go, or what they’re going to think of you… it’s really difficult to prepare for.’
She added: ‘When an offer started getting put on the table then retracted, things started getting messy.’
Touker told Lucie in the den: ‘I don’t want you to feel like I’ve tricked you in anyway, that is not my intention.
‘I’ll tell you what Lucie, I can feel you’re uncomfortable and I don’t want to take away 3% for nothing from your business so I’m out.’
Lucie confirmed that by the time she received the offer her ‘adrenaline had gone and she was absolutely exhausted.’
She also revealed that the situation came across worse on TV and said that ‘it wasn’t that bad of an offer’.
Lucie recently celebrated her success on TikTok and said that while the dragons were out, fans of haircare products were certainly ‘in’
Looking back, Lucie believes that she did the right thing by not entering into a business partnership with Touker – given her business is set to boom.
Despite failing to secure a deal in the Den, Lucie said that Steven Bartlett assured her that the show would still provide an invaluable stepping stone for her business.
She revealed how he told her that her ‘life was going to change’ and her ‘name was going to be out there’ after appearing on the BBC show.
The business owner admitted that despite his reassurance, she ‘never in a million years’ thought that Dragons’ Den would make her product the hot topic.
Nonetheless, she admitted it happened exactly how Steven had predicted.
Lucie admitted: ‘It completely transformed my life, turning me from this nobody really who has a brand, and I was just the person who owned it, and it’s evened out now and I’ve become just as relevant in the entrepreneurial space as the brand.
‘Steven said this would be the best thing that’s ever happened to me, that this rejection is the start of my career, and I just didn’t believe him.’
To put the difference into context, Hair Syrup has enjoyed a 66 percent increase in sales since Lucie’s appearance aired.
What’s more is that despite initially hoping to sell 20 bottles of her solution, she has now flogged over a million.
Not only that, but this month, she announced that she had received the prestigious accolade of being included in Forbes’s 30 Under 30 list.
After sharing the win on Instagram, a supportive Steven left a love heart under the post.
Dragons’ Den airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
