News
BBC forced to take down Dragons Den episode amid safety fears over product
The episode has been pulled amid concerns raised over the product
The BBC have been forced to take down an episode of Dragons Den amid safety fears over a featured product that made history.
Giselle Boxer, 31, from Sheffield won the multimillionaire judges over when she appeared on the entrepreneurs and business programme to pitch her ‘ear seeds’ business.
The panel of rich business experts were fighting to put their money behind her as Ms Boxer received a record-breaking six offers.
After stepping through the lift doors to take the floor before them, Ms Boxer explained in her pitch that while working as a 26-year-old professional for a top advertising agency and being fit and active, she received a diagnosis for the incurable condition of ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).
ME, also called chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS, is a condition that causes extreme tiredness and a range of other symptoms in sufferers. In some cases it can have a devastating impact on the sufferer’s functional ability and quality of life.
According to the NHS website Common symptoms of ME/CFS include:
- feeling extremely tired all the time – you may find it very hard to do daily activities
- still feeling tired after resting or sleeping
- taking a long time to recover after physical activity
- problems sleeping, such as waking up often during the night
- problems with thinking, memory and concentration
Some people with ME/CFS may also have other symptoms, including:
- muscle or joint pain
- headaches
- a sore throat
- flu-like symptoms
- feeling dizzy or sick
- fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations)
There is currently no cure for the condition, but health professionals can offer treatments to help sufferers manage their condition.
In her speech where she aimed to convince the Dragons – Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman, Steven Bartlett, Sara Davies and Gary Neville – to invest in her company Acu Seeds, Ms Boxer claimed ME left her mostly housebound and ‘unable to walk for more than five minutes without having to get back into bed’.
She said that doctors had told her she would never ‘recover, work again or have children’.
The devastating news urged her to go about finding ‘her own personal healing journey’ where she tried changing her diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and ear seeds.
About the product, the business woman explained: “Ear seeds are an ancient Chinese medicine tool, based on the principles of acupuncture, but without the needles.
“They are tiny beads, which stick onto the ear, applying pressure onto nerve endings. They send signals to the brain and body to relax the nervous system, release endorphins and naturally relieve pain.”
She said the product had ‘aided her recovery within 12 months’ and soon after, she fell pregnant.
Ms Boxer was looking for a £50,000 investment in return for a 10% cut of the business, which saw her settling on a 12% return as she shook hands with Diary of a CEO podcaster, Steven Bartlett.
However, her product Acu Seeds was reported to the Advertising Standards Authority soon after the episode aired on January 18th, with complaints that she had made ‘unproven claims’.
Charity Action for M.E. sent an open letter to the chairs of two House of Commons select committees explaining it was ‘very concerned’ about Boxer’s promotion of her product.
The charity posted to its X (formerly Twitter) page saying: “We have coordinated an open letter with other M.E. orgs in response to the recent Dragons Den episode in which a contestant made unevidenced claims regarding the efficacy of ‘acu seeds’ as a treatment for #MECFS.”
The charity also shared a link to the letter. In it, it said Ms Boxer suggested in her pitch how Acu Seeds were ‘responsible for her recovery and should therefore be considered an effective treatment’.
Alongside this, medical professionals and members of the public submitted complaints which said the product was giving sufferers of ME ‘false hope’, which prompted the BBC to take the episode down from iPlayer.
The broadcaster said that it was ‘taking concerns raised seriously’ though ‘products being featured on the show should not be seen as an endorsement of them’.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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