Joe Wicks on 'Dragon's Den': Interview

Brace yourselves, entrepreneurs! Fitness guru Joe Wicks and beauty mogul Trinny Woodall join Series 22 of Dragons’ Den as Guest Dragons, with Emma Grede returning after her successful stint last series.

Joe Wicks has been talking about his stint as a Dragon in a new interview...

This is your first time joining the Dragons. What made you want to take part?

Well, I felt really honoured that I was even asked. I thought it would be a really great experience to hopefully help another entrepreneur on their journey and achieve their dreams. I get a lot of joy from helping others and seeing other people succeed so I thought it would be a really wonderful opportunity to back someone and see another person live out their dream.

Which Dragon is your favourite, and why? Do you have a rival in the Den?

I think my favourite Dragon is probably Sara. It has to be, because she was at my screen test and she made me feel really relaxed. She is just a normal mum who worked really hard and built an amazing business. I feel like she is quite honest and a genuine person, she is probably the one I connected with the most. I don’t have any rivals in the Den, everyone was really friendly. If you are on set week in and week out, people are probably like having conflicting contradictions and confrontation. But everyone was really warm and friendly. Everyone made an effort to make me feel comfortable because I was nervous and outside of my comfort zone.

What are you looking for in potential business partners?

I am looking for people that are passionate and that have an idea beyond just making money. People that want to make a difference in people’s lives. The ones that will make a huge impact on the world are the ones that usually succeed in business. People that really work hard and believe in themselves. Times are tough. It’s difficult to build a business and keep it going. So, people with a bit of mental resilience as well.

Do you feel impressed by the pitches you’ve heard this series?

Some of the pitches were amazing. To sit on the chair and be a judge is nerve wrecking enough, but to walk out and present in front of all the cameras and all the Dragons, I really respected everyone that took part. I think it’s really amazing to see how some of them pitched their ideas. Some of them are great, some of them I did not always think were great but the actual presentations were always really good.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs in the current economic climate?

I just think it’s such an amazing time to be alive and use social media to connect with an audience and to build trust and engage with people. Then suddenly you can take an idea or hobby or something you love and you can monetise that pretty quickly. In the space of a year, you can have a business on social media or online with a service or product. It’s an exciting time and a competitive time but also there has never been a time on earth that you are able to reach so many people and build a business as quickly as you can now.