A FORMER Dragons’ Den hopeful has lifted the lid on one of the most famous parts of the programme.
It turns out the iconic lift – which entrepreneurs use to enter the lair and then celebrate their successes or hang their heads if they failed – is actually completely fake.
Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche pitching on Dragons’ Den
The pair in the iconic ‘lift’ – which is actually fake
Marisa Poster, who scored a £50,000 investment from Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones for her matcha green tea-powered energy drinks, said: “It’s not a real elevator.”
Instead, contestants press a button, get in and then the doors open on the other side.
The businesswoman also revealed that while pitches might be condensed to just a few minutes on TV, they can actually last for hours.
But the production crews allegedly understand the slog and do everything they can to put people at ease.
Marisa, who runs PerfectTed with pals Teddie and Levi Levenfiche, said: “You would never know by watching the show that a pitch can last one and a half hours.
“They distilled ours into 13 minutes, but it went on a lot longer.
“Even though it’s a long day, they treat you super well with hair, make-up, a dressing room and whatever you want to eat.
“And if you are travelling to Manchester where it is filmed from out of town, they put you up in a hotel.”
Marisa, Teddie and Levi, all 25, bagged offers from all five Dragons when they appeared on the hit BBC programme on March 3.
They walked away with a £50,000 investment from Steven, 30, and Peter, 56, in exchange for 10 per cent of their business.
Their products – all-natural energy drinks which rival Red Bull – were described as “absolutely brilliant”.
And their pitch was near-perfect, according to Sara Davies.
She said: “If there was a case study on how to come into the Den to pitch and knock it out of the park, you would absolutely be it.”
Now, the trio, who live together in London, are on track to rake in a mighty £4million in revenue in the next 12 months.
PerfectTed drinks, which are fused with fresh fruit juice and lightly sparkling water, come in three flavours – pear ginger, apple raspberry and pineapple yuzu.
Each can contains 80mg of caffeine – equivalent to a small Red Bull or cup of coffee – but won’t make your energy levels crash.
Marisa said: “I’ve struggled with ADHD and anxiety for years.
“Couple those two conditions with a lot of caffeine to keep up with a demanding workload, and you get a shaky, jittery, anxious, exhausted mess.
“I switched to matcha once I learned that it offered caffeine without any negative side effects thanks to the amino acid L-theanine.
“At first, I thought it sounded too good to be true, but after trying it out, I felt energised for twice as long, more focused, and less anxious.
“PerfectTed is giving providing people with a much needed option to feel energised without the negative side effects – plus, they’re getting a great antioxidant boost in.”
The BBC declined to comment.
The series 20 judges – Toukey Suleyman, Sara Davies, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett
Marisa and Teddie celebrating their success in the ‘lift’
Teddie, Levi and Marisa live together in London
PerfectTed drinks come in three fruity flavours
