Man who offered his home to fund health enterprise breaks down in tears on Dragons’ Den
A ‘fitness enthusiast’ who sold his house to fund his business broke down in tears as he revealed his emotional journey on Dragons’ Den.
In an episode aired this evening, CEO and founder of BodyXcore Joseph Keegan from Liverpool pitched his workout kit to the dragons, including celebrity guest Joe Wicks.
The pitch proved an emotional experience for Joseph, who revealed his mental health struggles and told how he previously considered taking his own life, as well as the breakdown of his family life and the loss of his mother.
While he asked the judges for £70,000 of BodyXcore, which sells wearable gym equipment to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance, in exchange for 10 per cent of the business, they were visibly moved.
His story particularly impacted Wicks, who said: ‘I can’t imagine putting my house up for sale to fulfil my dream; that’s so brave of you’.
He continued: ‘But maybe there’s a world where you don’t have to do that and you can get a couple of the dragons on board,’ causing Joseph to become tearful.
‘I’ve got to give you a little cuddle because I’m getting emotional now,’ Joe said as he stood to embrace the contestant. He added: ‘You’re doing brilliant, it’s emotional, but you’re doing great; have a breather.’
Luckily for Joseph – who admitted his girlfriend also left him amid the business troubles he faced – there were no more tears to be shed because he received multiple offers from judges who all wanted ‘a piece of the pie’.
Joseph Keegan (pictured) from Liverpool got emotional as he pitched to judges on Dragon’s Den this evening
Explaining his business on the company’s website, Joseph writes: ‘Frustrated and fuelled by the relentless grind of chasing peak performance, I craved a training solution that matched my lifestyle.
‘One restless night, born of frustration and determination, the vision became clear: a sports training solution that could redefine the game.
‘This wasn’t just about equipment – it was about unleashing potential, no matter where life takes you.’
At the time of filming, Joseph had sold 50 of his workout kits, which cost £40 to make, for £175 through word of mouth, meaning there were no paid advertisements.
Given his expertise in the fitness industry, Joe, otherwise known as ‘the nation’s PE teacher’, gave his verdict first, asking whether Joseph would consider cutting the costs and offering the kits at a lower price.
When Joseph agreed that he would, he offered the amount requested for a 25 per cent stake in BodyXcore.
After pitching his fitness business, guest judge Joe Wicks got ’emotional’ and gave Joseph a hug (pictured)
Joe, known as the ‘nation’s PE teacher’, tested out the BodyXcore equipment and was impressed
BodyXcore sells wearable gym equipment (pictured) aimed at improving strength and flexibility
However, he wasn’t the only judge interested, and Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman offered to go into business alongside Wicks as a trio.
‘I want to go on the journey with Joe,’ Peter said, adding, ‘I’d like to match Joe’s offer… on the basis of sharing it.’
Touker added: ‘Each one of us contributes something different…I know what I could bring to the party’.
Meanwhile, Sara Davies also offered to go into business with Joe, offering a second option for Joseph.
After becoming confused by the offers on the table, Joseph and Joe took a minute to chat through their options.
Joseph then revealed his decision to go into business with Joe, Peter, and Touker for a staggering £105 thousand and the backing of a trio with combined areas of expertise.
‘Joe loved my product and he, Touker Suleyman and Peter Jones invested in the business so now I’m ready to play my part in helping people feel better in themselves through the power of fitness,’ Joseph explains on his website.
It comes after two brothers who set up a pre-loved fashion brand found themselves in a rare position in the Dragon’s Den – being too successful to invest in.
Joseph explained his emotional backstory, including that he sold his house in order to fund his dream business
Luxe Collective, which was founded by Joe and Ben Gallagher from Merseyside, sells second-hand couture items and has amassed an estimated worth of £5million since the brand began in a bedroom at the brothers’ home in Formby.
The pair, alongside co-owner Oliver Millar, the brand’s Chief Operations Officer, faced the Dragon’s Den in the first episode of the latest series of the BBC One programme, but were so impressive they almost left empty-handed.
Entrepreneurs Sara Davies and Peter Jones – in the Den alongside fellow judges Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman – admitted that there wasn’t much they could bring to the business, despite wanting a slice of their success.
Davies said: ‘You can scale this business without anyone coming in.
‘I’m sat here thinking “Would I like a chunk of this business? Absolutely! But then I feel like you’d resent me because I’d want such a significant chunk of your business to just tell you to keep on doing what you’re doing.
The trio, who have 523,000 followers on Instagram and 1.6million on TikTok, impressed judges Peter Jones, with the story of how they were inspired to sell pre-loved designer items.
Ben told the judges that his sister had wanted a pair of £400 trainers for Christmas, and he was impressed when his mum found a second-hand pair online for £100.
He explained that he became ‘obsessed’ with the website his mother had bought them on. Using savings and part of a car loan, the 23-year-old and his brother started buying up items from eBay and DePop.
As the business grew, they also dedicated time to using social media to share fashion stories and help buyers distinguish between fake and real items, which saw business boom.
The Liverpool businessmen did eventually come away with a slay though, after persuading Steven Bartlett to invest £100,000 for just 3 per cent of their business.
