Dragons' Den viewers have been left feeling frustrated after Thursday night's episode when a Bristol entrepreneur's idea did not still well with the women investors.
Molly Masters, 25, is the founder of Books That Matter, an award-winning UK subscription box that operates from Bristol and women authors in the spotlight. The subscription service aims to inspire women and girls through monthly sends costing £17 per box, and less if you buy in bulk.
She entered the den with a proposition of £50,000 investment in exchange for five per cent of the business. "What we have to offer is a very exciting and dynamic product in a fast-moving market," she explained.
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"The current English GCSE curriculum offers a choice of 25 available books for study. Only five are by women," Ms Masters said in her pitch. "If women and girls cannot see themselves represented at school, in the media and on the bookshelves, then we have to take matters into our own hands."
With a total annual turnover of £800,000 since they first started several years ago, Dragon Touker Suleyman showed immediate interest in investing. He eventually offered Ms Masters the full investment for 30 per cent of the business, an offer which she eventually declined.
But it was the reactions from women Dragons Deborah Meadon and Sarah Davies that captured the viewer's attention, with one person even saying they were 'disgusted' with their reaction. Deborah Meaden, who's appeared on the BBC show since series two, had her doubts about the product.
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"I obviously love the promotion, certainly, of women. But why would you restrict your audience?" she asked the Bristol entrepreneur. "It just seemed to me a little bit of a shame, if you're trying to open up a window to female authors, why would you target your audience to heavily towards women?"
Sarah Davies, who said her sons wouldn't want to read books that came out of a pink box, said the product was excluding her as a consumer. Ms Masters highlighted how 75 per cent of the book-buying market was women. The two female Dragons were the first to say 'I'm out' and close the book on investment.
Many viewers shared their frustration with the two women Dragons on Twitter. @Fiferight14 said: "Absolutely disgusted. Just watching Dragons Den and a woman has set up a book club for women and girls. The two females on the panel, Deborah and Sara, turned her down since it’s wasn’t “inclusive” enough. Men don’t have to do anything; women destroy other women."
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Twitter user @lauraaflemming commented: "I’m sorry but the women on Dragons Den are so far off the mark with Books That Matter and it’s made me very angry."
Karen, who Tweets under the username @sexyeyes70, said: "Dragons Den, a coloured box doesn't exclude people, if it does it says more about people's parenting than the kids."
While @wheeliedealer thought it was a missed opportunity for the dragons. "The women's book thing was strange on Dragons Den. She's achieved a lot and none of the Dragons mentioned how she could expand in the future to a men's audience or something."
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