Dragons’ Den viewers slam ‘terrible and exploitative’ pitch after ‘self-cured’ ME sufferer secures huge investment
FURIOUS Dragons’ Den viewers have called for the show to be taken off air after a business owner made history with a controversial pitch.
Giselle Boxer, 31, received an astonishing six offers from the Dragons for her “ear seeds” – which she claims helped her overcome debilitating M.E (myalgic encephalomyelitis).
Giselle, from Sheffield, was 26 and working for a for a top advertising agency when she became ill.
The condition left her housebound and she was told by doctors that she would never recover, work again or have children.
However, she told the Dragons that with the help of diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and “ear seeds”, she made a full recovery and fell pregnant.
Ear seeds are tiny needle-less beads, based on acupuncture principles, which are applied to the ear to stimulate nerve endings.
Giselle’s return to health inspired her to set up Acu Seeds with the aim of helping others recover from similar conditions – including anxiety and migraines.
Though the Dragons – including guest investor Gary Neville – were left speechless, fans of the show found the segment “exploitative” and irresponsible.
One person commented on Instagram: “This is so disappointing. What flagrant exploitation of ill people who are in search of a real cure.”
Another said on X: “I’m raging. I think the show should be taken off air. Imagine if this was hailed as a cure for cancer? Or MS ? Or Alzheimer’s … or … you name it…”
A third posted: “I’ve now had two people get in touch to recommend AcuSeeds based on Dragons’ Den. They mean well, but it makes me furious at the show. The reach they’ve given her has been *huge* and it’s to the detriment of ME/CFS awareness. Imagine what could have been done with that platform?”
But Giselle has responded to the backlash through her business’s social media page, insisting she has been misconstrued by viewers and that the criticism is affecting her.
She wrote: “I have NEVER said that ear seeds are a cure for M.E. I have always said that M.E. is a complex condition and that combination healing approaches is what I believe supported my recovery.
“I will not be told that I never had the condition. I was diagnosed by multiple M.E. specialists in the U.K.
“I was very unwell for five years. I finally got my life back in 2020.
“Before leaving a barrage of abuse on my page please remember I was once bed bound, depressed , hopeless and angry with the world too.
“But not once did I take this anger out on any other human being, especially someone who is not trying to help others feel better again.
“I’ve been through a lot and have very thick skin but I can’t say the online trolls aren’t affecting me.”
The Acu Seeds website also states that it does not guarantee curing conditions and that the product is for educational purposes.
In the FAQ section, it says: “… we can not and do not make claims to individual results if you experiment with auriculotherapy with ear seeds.
“Historically and in studies, with proper placement, ear seeds have been shown to work immediately for certain conditions, and take longer – up to a few weeks with multiple sessions – with others. Ear seeding is a holistic treatment that can support healing but they are not a magic pill.”
Acu Seeds sells gold and silver plated ear seeds with the intention of combining fashion and treatment.
Giselle came to the Dragons; Gary, 48, Peter Jones, 57, Deborah Meaden, 64, Touker Suleyman, 70, Sara Davies, 39, and Steven Bartlett, 31, asking for a £50,000 investment for 10 per cent of her Acu Seeds business.
Neville said: “I live in a family predominantly of women and if I went home and said that I’d not invested in you, my mum, my sister, my wife, my two girls, I don’t think would ever forgive me!
“So I’m going to take the pressure off you in one sense that you’re going to have one offer.
“I’m not going to cut you, I’m going to offer all the money you’ve asked for, for the percentage you’ve asked for.”
Meaden was left speechless by the pitch and said: “I normally have 1,001 questions and I’m just sat here thinking, ‘I’m just making questions up now.’
“I’m asking you for the sake of it because I’ve made my mind up I’m going to make an offer.”
She offered all the money and for 10 per cent of the business.
Davies, Jones, Suleyman also offered the same.
However Bartlett offered all of the money for 15 per cent of her business.
Jones said: “Oh you don’t want it then!”
Neville chimed in: “He’s not a dragon… he’s a snake!”
After thinking about her decision, Giselle said: “I was told I was going to meet a man called Stephen and he was going to be really important and this was before any of this happened.
“So I would really like to work with you. Would you be flexible on the 15 per cent?”
Bartlett asked: “What is your counteroffer?”
Giselle told him 12 and a half.
“Giselle… You’ve got a deal,” he told her.
Speaking to the camera, Giselle said: “It’s amazing, I would have been happy with one. Getting everybody, and getting Stephen, it was just a dream come true!
“I just want to make my daughter proud.”
There is no cure or effective treatment for ME/CFS but sufferers do turn to alternative medicine to help ease symptoms.
Studies have shown that acupuncture can give some people short-term relief from symptoms including headaches and chronic pain.
What are the signs and symptoms of chronic fatigue symptom (CFS)?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms. The most common symptom is extreme tiredness.
CFS is also known as ME, which stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis.
It can affect anyone, including children, but is more common in women, and tends to develop between your mid-20s and mid-40s.
As well as extreme tiredness, people may have other symptoms, including:
- sleep problems
- muscle or joint pain
- headaches
- a sore throat or sore glands that aren’t swollen
- problems thinking, remembering or concentrating
- flu-like symptoms
- feeling dizzy or sick
- fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations)
Source: NHS