Archive for February, 2010
So it is time to see the first programme
Niall then ushered us downstairs. So we leave the palatial receptions rooms upstairs, cross the wide, white marble hall and descend the stairs to the basement. As you turn on the half landing towards the basement you get your first view of the swimming pool. The water is a marine green and the reflection from pool lights dances on the water behind the glass wall. We swing to the right into Niall’s private cinema. The difference between this cinema and normal ones is that there is a full bar in the corner and very luxurious armchairs. I grab one at the front. I am nothing if I am not keen.
Sean is very loud. He is in great form and showing off Trish his girlfriend of four months. Bobby has a new hobby. He has become a photographer. So he has got a fancy enough digital camera with a big zoom lense on it and is busily taking photos of everyone who will pose for him. Sarah sits at the back snuggled up to the legend, DJ.
Our Host Niall O’Farrell says a few words
At about 9pm a fork supper was served. I was dying to see this first programme but there was no rush from anybody as the wine flowed. Then Niall said a few words of welcome and joked about how Dragons’ Den had such a huge impact on his life. He shared with us his experiences of people wandering up to him on the street with business ideas. All five of us know how this feels. Never a day goes by that somebody doesn’t come up to me with a business idea. They say there is a novel in everyone well I can assure there is also the gem of a business idea or invention in everyone as well.
Niall was very complimentary about my article in that day’s Sunday Independent where I was just saying that any business person is only probably worth a fraction of what they thought they were worth in 2007. So I talked about the madness of doing Dragons’ Den in such a deep recession but concluded I think it is worth doing if we are helping out start-up businesses which will be getting very little funding from elsewhere these times.
The Dragons get a preview
There is a nervous anticipation amongst the Dragons in advance of Series 2. All the recordings are over and we are all waiting to see the show and how it has turned out? Bobby, Sean and I did a mock Dragons’ Den last Friday (the 19th) for Fairtrade and we were all wondering what “our” show is going to be like.
Well on Sunday night (the 21st) we the Dragons, the production team, the sponsors and RTE exec’s got to see it at a very glamorous Preview in Niall O’Farrell’s mansion, Thorndene, on Shrewsbury Road. What a beautiful home. Niall has such great taste. It is always a warm and welcoming house and Niall is the perfect host. At the pre-drinks I got chatting with our presenter Richard Curran who was telling me he is still working away on the programme as he has still to do voice-overs and would be the next day doing the narration for programme 3.
I am a blogger!
So here goes my Blog for Dragons’ Den Series 2 that gets underway this Thursday night.
I will write two updates every week.
When I’ll blog
On Monday I will preview that Thursday’s show and give you some follow on from the previous week.
And on Thursday at 11:15 I will upload my blog on the show you have just seen with the inside story.