Dragon’s Den star Touker Suleyman has revealed he’s quit the show after an ‘extraordinary’ 10 years.
The businessman, 72, took to Instagram on Saturday morning to share the news with his followers.
Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies will remain in the lineup of the BBC show.
Touker – who joined the show for series 13 – has 50 years of retail and manufacturing experience and is best known for owning Hawes & Curtis and womenswear brand Ghost.
Touker penned in his statement: ‘After ten extraordinary years as a Dragon on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, I have made the decision to step down from the show.
‘It has been an immense privilege to sit in that chair, to meet so many passionate and talented entrepreneurs and to invest in business and people I truly believed in.
‘The show gave me a platform not only to invest in leading British founders and companies but to share hard-won wisdom built over decades in business – and I hope that, in some small way, I made a difference to those who stood opposite me.
Dragon’s Den star Touker Suleyman has revealed he’s quit the show after an ‘extraordinary’ 10 years
The businessman, 72, took to Instagram on Saturday morning to share the news with his followers
Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies will remain in the lineup of the BBC show
‘At 72, I find myself reflecting on what matters most. I am proud of every deal made, every pitch challenged and every founder I had the honour of backing.
‘But I firmly believe that great institutions must evolve and it is time for new blood to take my seat in the Den and bring their own vision to this brilliant show.
‘Fans of the series can still catch me in action one last time – my final episodes will be airing later this year.
‘I hope you will tune in and enjoy what has been a truly memorable run in the Den.
‘Stepping back from Dragons’ will give me more time to mentor the entrepreneurs I have invested in and to give back the 50 years of business experience I have accumulated.
If I can help the next generation avoid the pitfalls I’ve faced, seize the opportunities almost missed and build businesses they are truly proud of, then that will be the most rewarding chapter of my career yet.
‘To the BBC, to my fellow Dragons past and present, to the production team and above all to the entrepreneurs who dared to walk through those doors – thank you.
‘It has been one of the great joys of my career: The fire in the Den burns on. I simply pass the torch.’
Born in Famagusta, Cyprus, Touker moved to the UK with his family in 1958 at the age of five before settling in Bermondsey, London
Touker began his retail career at the age of 18 and soon established a clothing manufacturer supplying to some of the biggest names in the UK.
Born in Famagusta, Cyprus, Touker moved to the UK with his family in 1958 at the age of five before settling in Bermondsey, London.
After leaving school, the businessman took up a job at an accounting firm, before starting his own fashion business in the early 1980s.
He soon started supplying high-street mainstays including Marks & Spencers before going on to acquire a series of major clothes retail businesses.
The fashion entrepreneur, who is worth an estimated £200 million, now lives in a £20 million modernist house in south London.
