A prominent Merseyside businessman who won funding after appearing on the TV show Dragon's Den has died suddenly.
Wirral-based entrepreneur Drew Cockton, 36, was the owner of vegan fragrance brand Owen Drew, and triumphed on Dragons' Den last year after scooping a £50,000 investment for his business from "Dragon" Touker Suleyman.
Drew was also an LGBTQ campaigner and on Friday evening held the second North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards, which he founded, at Liverpool's Titanic Hotel.
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His mum Kate confirmed the news today (Sunday) in a Facebook post, saying: "We are truly, utterly heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Drew Peter George Cockton (my gorgeous boy) died peacefully at home yesterday. We are devastated beyond belief. Life is never, ever going to be the same again. Rest Peacefully darling boy."
Drew's partner Ryan Gunn simply posted a picture of the couple on his Facebook page, with dozens of people offering their sympathies and paying tribute on the thread below.
Drew rose to prominence after scooping a huge investment from multimillionaire Mr Suleyman on Dragons' Den. The budding entrepreneur impressed the Dragons after detailing his previous mental health issues, and explaining why these were the driving force behind the creation of his business - and why the concept of wellness was so important to him.
Viewers watched as Drew began by explaining to the Dragons how at the age of 22, he had opened a hotel business on Manchester's Canal Street, quitting his job in financial services "against all the advice of my family" after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
At the time, he said: "I was totally inexperienced. I was working so hard that I actually made myself quite ill and had a breakdown."
Undeterred by what he described as "failure", Drew started his business from the kitchen table of his home six years ago, making and selling candles on social media. The firm now has its own premises in Birkenhead, producing natural soy wax candles, soy wax melts and luxurious room mists, with all the products made entirely by hand.
Then last year Drew created the North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards, with the aim of highlighting the enormous contribution the LGBTQ+ community makes to the North West economy.
Online friends paid dozens of tributes including: "Drew touched so many lives with his kindness & I know we are all broken by this sad news" and "So very sad - my condolences to his mum, his family and to his many friends. A truly inspirational young man."
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