Dragon's Den star fumes over slimming pill lie

Whatever former Dragons' Den tycoon and crafting entrepreneur Sara Davies is having, I want some. Even through the computer screen as we chat on Zoom her vitality, enthusiasm and energy are palpable. She looks great, too. So healthy and happy. Heck, she's positively glowing. She's also in great shape. Would that be down to the weight loss pills she's been pictured extolling the virtues of on social media? Her smile immediately turns into a frown - the frown of a fire-breathing Dragon, no less!

"No, it is not! Folks are forever coming up to me, saying, 'Oh those slimming pills must really work! You look great.' IT'S NOT THE PILLS," the 41-year-old rages. "The pills are bogus. It's a scam. My name and my image have been stolen." Sara's former fellow Dragon, Deborah Meaden, is having the same problem, as is Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis.

"Those pictures all over social media have absolutely nothing to do with me or Deborah nor with Dragons' Den," fumes Sara. "The 'ads' claim the supplements were pitched on the show and I invested, but it's complete rubbish. I don't even think the pics look like me. It's really upsetting. "I've reported whoever sets these scams up to the BBC, I've spent thousands involving my own lawyers and the sites get taken down but it's like whack-a-mole. As fast as one bogus site closes down, another opens.

"The really upsetting thing is that I get messages from people who've been scammed, telling me they've sent off for 'my' diet pills but they never arrived - or that they did arrive but they don't work. It's absolutely mortifying and I feel really bad about it.

"From my point of view, it's so frustrating that my image is being used and these false claims are being made, and it seems impossible to control." Point made - and who could blame her for being cross? - the County Durham-born businesswoman settles back and is soon smiling again as she explains the real reason she is looking so good. "I weigh just about the same now as when I finished Strictly Come Dancing three-and-a-half years ago," she continues.

"I was in great shape after Strictly but, when it stopped, I wasn't doing so much activity and my weight increased. I no longer had the routine or the motivation and I saw the weight piling back on."

Then last summer, she discovered she had polycystic ovaries. "This meant the only way I could lose weight and inches was by cutting out sugar, which I did. I started training for the Great North Run and got into a very positive mindset. I've put on a little muscle weight but I guess that's to be expected.

"I do love it when people tell me I'm looking good - much better than being told I've just lost weight. It's about having glowing skin and looking, and feeling, well. I'm also doing some strength training and I have a nutritionist. I'm really conscious of what I eat and how I'm feeling. I just think I'm reaping the rewards of looking after myself."

Sara, who set up her first crafting business while still at university, came to the public's attention when she joined Dragons' Den in 2019. After six successful years, she left her leather armchair on the panel in March. "It was so difficult because I absolutely love the show and it's a huge part of who I am", she says. "I really miss it. But something had to give. At the turn of the year, I bought back my company, Crafter's Companion, and became the CEO again so I had to be all-in.

"It's not the actual filming of Dragons' Den that was the problem for me - I could make time for that - it's the fact I'd have had several new businesses I'd invested in. That's a lot of commitment. I have to put that energy and time into my company right now. If I was still in the show, I'd just be spreading myself too thin. I'm not saying I'll never go back but it's just not possible right now."

Sara met her husband Simon when she was just 15. They married in 2007 and have two sons. But having coupled-up so young, I can't help wondering if there's a part of her that feels she missed out. Maybe she occasionally wishes she'd played the field a bit more before settling down. "Never! The grass isn't greener - not for me. My friends tell me I was so lucky to meet the love of my life at such a young age - especially as some are now getting divorced, heading towards second marriages or have yet to meet 'the one'.

"I am lucky - I've never had to do any of that dating malarky or been worried about being alone. I went from being a girl to meeting the man of my dreams! And that was that part of my life sorted!

"Not having to fret or worry about relationships has meant that I've been totally able to concentrate on my career. It means I've always felt secure." While Sara loves a bit of showbiz razzle-dazzle, Simon is the total opposite. "He's got no interest in celebrity life, the TV world. A few months ago, I was asked to present an award at the Baftas. 'OMG Simon,' I said. 'That means we'll be on the red carpet.' He's like, 'I won't - I'm not going!'

"I told him we'd be having this fantastic dinner with all these amazing people and he said, 'I'm not interested. It's your thing, not mine - and besides, it's not you who's getting the Bafta, is it?' That put me in my place!

"He's happy I get excited about it but he doesn't - and it keeps my feet on the ground. In many ways, we're chalk and cheese. Never mind being on different pages, we're in different libraries! This is what makes both our marriage and our business relationship work. I'm this boisterous, loud, outgoing extrovert and he's quite an introvert. It just works."

Sara says respect plays a massive part in their union too. "He's a wonderful father to our children and the respect we have for each other helps in our roles as co-parents." Home is in the north-east where it always has been. Being a northerner means the world to Sara and you can hear the pride in her Geordie lilt when she talks about where she is from. Her parents and her sister and family all live close by.

"There's nothing I love more on a weekend than going round to mum's for a roast. I'm very proud of my northern roots and love being in the middle of the family. I've been lucky enough to travel a lot for work but for me, it's always, 'How soon can I get home?'."

Speaking of work, Sara's got a lot on. In addition to her role as CEO of Crafter's Companion, she's doing motivational speaking at conferences, presented The Big Idea for the BBC, and a quiz show for ITV called Time is Money, due to be broadcast later this year. And then there's her role with DB Shoes as figurehead for their Joyful Strides for Wider Feet campaign.

"It's about celebrating good foot health and showing the difference this can make to your confidence," she explains. "My heel days are over, but I want a trainer that looks good and can be worn with a dress."

Before we say goodbye, there's just one last question I need to ask: about her awe-inspiring confidence and positive thinking.

"Where does it come from?" she laughs. "Just fake it 'til you make it, babe! When I'm not feeling it, I just put the mask on, the make-up on and I just go out there. I find it's like energy. People always say to me, 'You've got such high energy, where does it come from?' And I'm like, 'It's a choice.'"urn up like that ev

For more information on Sara's Joyful Strides campaign, visit widerfitshoes.co.uk