For most entrepreneurs appearing on BBC's Dragons' Den, understanding the mindset of the multi-millionaire investors they're pitching to remains an elusive dream. However, for professional psychic medium Danielle Close, this became a tangible reality when she secured a £50,000 joint investment from her ideal Dragons – business mogul Deborah Meaden and former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville.
The Psychic Connection to Dragons' Den
Danielle Close, speaking exclusively about her Dragons' Den experience, revealed her journey began in 2023 when Gary Neville was announced as a guest Dragon for series 21. 'If you want to know something really weird... years ago, when Gary Neville was announced as a Dragon, I really thought if I ever go on the show, I want my Dragon to be him,' she confessed. 'So when I was put with him, I just knew it; I had such a good feeling about him, and I don't know why.'
The business owner presented her innovative skincare brand, My Skin Feels, which creates effective, sensitive-skin-friendly formulas using rescued food by-products. Her appearance on the hit investment show culminated in securing offers from multiple Dragons, but she felt particularly drawn to Deborah Meaden and Gary Neville. 'It's quite interesting how I just tuned into it, and also how I got a few offers, but I knew which ones felt like the right ones... [Deborah and Gary] fit the energy of the company,' Danielle explained.
Psychic Mediumship Meets Business Intuition
As a fifth-generation psychic medium with seven years of formal training, Danielle balances her spiritual work alongside running her full-time skincare business. She emphasised how her psychic background strongly informs her brand's intuition-led approach, despite acknowledging the stigma surrounding her profession.
'People think that my psychic work is separate, but intuition is your daily life... for me, choosing who to work with, knowing which direction to go in, knowing what feels right, what is wrong, it's just having good intuition,' she elaborated. 'When you go into mediumship, it's a separate thing because that's particularly a specific skill for clients, but intuition in business goes hand in hand, and I bet if you talk to any business leader, they're using intuition and not realising they're using it.'
The Investment Twist
Despite successfully negotiating a £50,000 investment from Gary Neville and Deborah Meaden during her Dragons' Den appearance – originally asking for £50k in exchange for 10% equity before accepting their joint offer of £50,000 for 20% – Danielle revealed she ultimately didn't take their money. This surprising development occurred after private investors approached her through her psychic mediumship contacts, offering more favourable terms.
'Weirdly, these investors came in through my psychic mediumship contacts, and they just really liked the business, then it just went on a bit of a spiral,' she disclosed. This meant returning Gary Neville's £25,000 portion of the investment, while Deborah Meaden's equal share was also declined.
The decision followed an amusing moment during her episode where she appeared to overlook an investment offer from Dragon Peter Jones. 'It was a complete accident,' she admitted. 'I actually forgot he made an offer because I was so focused on Deborah and Gary, and then I said, "I'm actually really sorry."'
Post-Dragons' Den Success
Since her appearance on the show, My Skin Feels has achieved remarkable commercial success, experiencing 250% year-on-year growth. The brand has launched in all 15 Credo Beauty stores across the United States and secured early distribution with Whole Foods, demonstrating significant market traction beyond its Dragons' Den exposure.
Danielle's unique journey highlights how intuition and unconventional business approaches can yield substantial results, even when traditional investment routes take unexpected turns. Her story continues to resonate with entrepreneurs who value both spiritual insight and commercial acumen in their business ventures.
