Dragons' Den

The Den is a brutal place. Evan Davis calls it the “battleground of business” and that seems a fair description. It’s confrontational, feisty and prone to chewing up the unwary and spitting them out in a lift journey of regret. 

This makes it all the more welcome when, occasionally, we’re ambushed by a human moment that feels sensitive and unexpectedly touching. I won’t say who is on the receiving end tonight, but the moment comes courtesy of Sara Davies, the youngest Dragon. Mind you, she can be cutting when she wants to be. “I think it’s absolutely brilliant,” she cheerfully tells another hopeful at one point, before bluntly adding: “My problem is you. I feel like you need a kick up your behind.”

Elsewhere there are tussles over a dental app, a low-calorie craft beer and a superfood powder. And in an excellent Mexican stand-off, Peter Jones refers to himself as a “Super Dragon”. Modest as ever.