Scunthorpe plus-size fashion entrepreneur secures 'perfect fit' dragon on hit BBC show

Ben Pearson inspires famous investors with rags to riches tale of overcoming adversity

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David LaisterBusiness Editor (Humber)

11:28, 13 JAN 2023
Updated09:39, 14 JAN 2023

Showing his wares: Ben Pearson of Big Clothing 4 U, on Dragons' Den. (Image: BBC)

A Scunthorpe plus-sized fashion entrepreneur has wowed the dragons, securing a £150,000 investment on the hit BBC show.

Ben Pearson’s rags to riches tale, from being homeless to the head of a £3.5 million firm, had the five investors in the palm of his hands for much of the pitch, with his straight-talking and self-starter mentality a huge hit. And he secured his number one target, Touker Suleyman, the man behind British menswear brand, Hawes & Curtis, as his backer.

Mr Pearson launched Big Clothing 4 U in 2015, having found it hard to clothe himself. Diagnosed with autism, dealing with it from a young age with several other disabilities was a factor in him spending majority of his early life in social care, young offenders’ institutes and homeless. He also piled on weight, hitting almost 30 stone.

“I took a lot of counselling, overcame a lot of barriers, but there was one thing I couldn’t do, I couldn’t find clothing on the high street, there wasn’t a thing that fitted me,” he told the dragons.

Having been left a significant trust fund by his grandfather, opened up to him in his late teens, he launched in his bedroom, selling on EBay and Amazon, turning over £2.9 million in 2021, with the programme hearing how he was on track to turn over £3.5 million as it was filmed.

Ben Pearson faces up to the dragons. (Image: BBC)

“It might look like I’ve done it, but I haven’t,” he said. “I’m stuck, I can’t get into the international markets, and that’s what I’m looking for.”

Before entering the den, he’d told how it took a lot of guts to be there, but was keen to “inspire others to show them where there’s a will, there is a way and we should not be held back for having these slightly different ways of thinking”.

He may not have reckoned on inspiring Steven Bartlett, one of the most influential operators in business.

“I’m really really inspired by your journey,” the founder of Social Chain, a social media marketing company and the man behind The Diary of a CEO podcast, said. “You are one of the best pitches I have ever seen since I’ve been in the den.” Describing him as smart, inspiring, dogged, relentless and trustworthy, only him not being passionate about the industry stopped him.

And with Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Deborah Meaden concerned about his director’s loans of £1.2 million on the balance sheet, it left the path clear for his sought after mentor. As investment hung by a thread, Bartlett also cajoled Suleyman, commenting: “if you don’t make an offer for this one, I don’t know what you’re going to make an offer for, it has got your name written all over it.”

It came, and although 25 per cent higher than first offered, it was immediately accepted.

“Having Tuka on board is going to be a fantastic addition to our business, just what we need,” Mr Pearson said.

Earlier, Suleyman had been on his feet checking the merchandise, with Mr Pearson’s “I hope you like what you see” line raising a wry smile.

Likes what he sees: Touker Suleyman inspects the clothing. (Image: BBC)

Suleyman, who told how he had been “deflated by the balance sheet” before Bartlett’s intervention in a nervy silence, had told Mr Pearson “well done, I’m very impressed - this is a market that has been ignored,” when the pitch opened.

Big Clothing 4 U, which counts Harvey Price as a brand ambassador, retails up to 8XL, with all impressed with his margins and quality generated from the Dunlop Way base.

Dragons’ Den host Evan Davies had described the Scunthorpe success story as “Ben Pearson, an entrepreneur who spotted a big gap in the market before turning life’s challenges into the driving force behind his business - a plus sized clothing company with plus-sized international ambition”.

Export markets are indeed key to tailoring growth, with Mr Pearson telling Peter Jones - who has a strong portfolio in global ecommerce - “we need dedicated resource to display correctly in these countries”.

Addressing Mr Pearson’s anxiety at public speaking - not evidenced in the show - Jones, impressed by his motivation, said: “You’ve demonstrated how good you are at controlling your mind for the benefit of yourself, which is absolutely exceptional.”

Sara Davies added “I love you, you’re the most straight talking person I’ve ever met in business, and it is so refreshing. On the flipside, that £1.3 million still owed to you, is ringing really big alarm bell.”

Meaden followed, with an ‘I’m out’, adding: “You are brilliant, it is a real pleasure to talk to somebody where you ask a question, they answer it and you believe it.”

Giving an insight into his personal life as the pitch had opened up to questions, Mr Pearson said: “I found there was a gap in the care system, and it rendered me homeless.I hit rock bottom. I had nothing, I had nothing to lose. While I sat on the streets, I thought ‘I can pick myself up’ and I started ploughing forward”.