Den contestants ‘just after 15mins of fame’
But Bobby doesn’t regret TV role
FORMER Dragons’ Den star Bobby Kerr has claimed most of his investments from the show failed because the contestants just wanted their “15 minutes of fame”.
The businessman invested in nine companies throughout his time on the hit RTE One series, which has aired from 2009.
But Bobby claimed some of the people he backed just weren’t business-minded and were more interested in the TV exposure.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, he said: “Most of my Dragons’ Den ones all went south. Most of everybody in Dragons’
Den did. I wasn’t unique in that. I did nine investments and I got on well with them all but some of them weren’t business people. They were more 15 minutes of fame on the TV and that was it.”
The Newstalk presenter said he doesn’t regret investing in other people’s companies but is grateful he didn’t borrow money to back them.
He added: “The type of businesses they were, like fellas trying to bring in products from China and all that kind of stuff, maybe some of them didn’t have the vision.
“Some of them definitely didn’t have the actual drive to make it succeed but you know what, I don’t have any regrets about it.
“When I went on that show, it wasn’t because I wanted to be giving away money and losing money but I wasn’t borrowing money to go on the show, so it was fine.
“It was a long time ago. I’ve always only invested or spent money that I had.
“I’m old school. I’ve borrowed over the years but always in any business my primary function was to pay off my borrowings. I’m not that comfortable with debt. I think that is a DNA thing. I probably got it from my late father. Only spend money you have.”
Asked would he ever consider running for the presidency like fellow Dragon Sean Gallagher, Bobby was adamant he wouldn’t be getting into politics.
He said: “It is a killing field in a sense that I would say you work your socks off, I don’t mind that but you’re one step away from disaster.
“It is a thankless task. Everybody has a way of doing their job that is better. No
chance, life is too short.”