The former Dragons’ Den panelist and freight entrepreneur, Hilary Devey, has died aged 65.
She died on Saturday after a long illness in Morocco, where she had a property, said her publicist, Benjamin Webb.
She founded the multimillion-pound freight distribution business Pall-Ex, after selling her home and car in the 1990s to finance it.
Davey was born in Bolton and left school at 16, later moving to London for work. She was determined to succeed after her seeing her father go bankrupt when she seven.
By the time she sold Pall-Ex in 2019 it had a turnover of £85m and operated in 26 countries.
She joined the BBC Two programme Dragons’ Den in 2011 and went on to present Channel 4’s The Intern in 2012.
Fellow Dragons’ Den panellists paid tribute to the entrepreneur on Twitter. The health club magnate Duncan Bannatyne wrote: “Sad to hear that @HilaryDevey has passed. So young. Too young. Rest in Peace Hilary. X”
Theo Paphitis, who owns the retail chains Rymans and Robert Dyas and also appeared on the show with her, wrote: “So sad to hear of the passing of the lovely Hilary Devey. She left us all with some fantastic memories, may she rest in peace. My thoughts are with her family. x”
She was famous for her direct feedback on Dragons’ Den, once telling a contestant in fury “You would make my foot itch, mate” after he was unable to break down his business’s turnover. She was also known for showing warmth to those who turned up to pitches nervous.
She was made a CBE in 2013 for her career in business and charitable work, which included being vice-president of the Carers Trust. She was also a patron of the Stroke Association, having suffered a stroke in 2009.
She married twice and leaves behind a son, Mevlit Brewster-Ahmet, who is 35.
She smoked from the age of 15 and vowed to give up her 40-year habit in 2017 after a health scare. She took a health test as part of a Public Health England campaign and said she was “shocked” at the results.
“My son is now 31 years of age, and I want to make sure he has me around for many more years,” she said in an interview at the time.
She also appeared in The Business Inspector on Channel 5.
Describing being made a CBE, she said at the time: “In every sense of the word, this is a great honour and I am equally flattered and flabbergasted.
“It is wonderful to receive such recognition, but this should be less about me, and more about the charities that I support and the amazing transport sector in which I am privileged to work.
“So I dedicate my honour to the Carers Trust, the Stroke Association, and Fresh Start – New Beginnings, and the other charities that I have tried to support, as well as to the lorry drivers, forklift truck drivers and everyone else who works in the logistics sector, the unsung heroes of British industry.”
