I was on BBC Dragons' Den - here is one surprising thing you don't see on show

Dragons' Den has been a familiar show in British households for decades, with an increasing number of budding business owners applying to the BBC show to secure a life-changing investment. One Dragons' Den success story is led by Clapham-born entrepreneur Alex Street, who appeared on the long-running programme back in January. During his episode, Alex secured an investment from Dragon Sara Davies. Since then, his business has doubled its sales and continued to grow from strength to strength. But what was his experience really like when the cameras were down?

Speaking exclusively to Express Online, the founder of Mystery Jersey King lifted the lid on the audition process, what inspired him to apply, and what the biggest surprise was to him when he appeared at the studio for filming.

"I applied because I really believed in what we'd built. Mystery Jersey King is a great little business, and I thought Dragons' Den could help take it to the next level. We work so hard behind the scenes, and I knew that with the right exposure, and a bit of mentorship from people who've been there and done it, we could get our product out to the masses," he said.

When it came to the audition process, he said: "I'm a bit rough around the edges, but I think that made me stand out. Dragons' Den is full of well-spoken, super-slick people, so maybe they fancied a change, someone a bit different, a bit raw, but honest."

Any strict rules? Alex explained: "The only rule was that I couldn't wear a football shirt in the Den, which, for me, was torture, I live in them. So there I was, suited and booted for once. Apart from that, they just told me to be myself, which, thankfully, I'm quite good at."

When quizzed about what really surprised him during the process, he said: "That the lift isn't a lift. That really threw me. You're standing in there for a few minutes waiting for the doors to open, the lights change, and suddenly you're in front of the Dragons.

"When I walked out, I was looking down trying to find the little X I was meant to stand on, and I overstepped it a few times, not my smoothest moment. But once I got going, I just focused on enjoying it. The Dragons were great, and it ended up being such a fun experience."

Alex also credits a lot of this success to his Dragon investor, Sara Davies: "Sara is creative, operationally sharp, and full of blinding ideas. She's helped us refine our strategy, introduce systems that improve customer experience, and scale the business as we prepare for the American World Cup."

Since January 2025, Mystery Jersey King has experienced a 66% increase in website traffic, a 164% increase in revenue, and a 165% increase in orders.

Dragon's Den airs on BBC One and iPlayer.