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.
BBC
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
BBC
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.
BBC
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.
BBC
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.
BBC
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.”
We have coordinated an open letter with other M.E. orgs in response to the recent Dragons Den episode in which a contenstant 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’.
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.”
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.
#CHARGED | We have charged two men with murder, after further suspected human remains were found this morning in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles. This follows earlier discoveries around Salford.
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.”
Detectives investigating the discovery of a torso in Kersal Dale have found more human remains around Greater Manchester. GMP released a statement on the weekend, revealing they had opened four scenes for extensive searches – one of them at a warehouse in Bury, and three in Salford. Searches took place at Blackleach reservoir, where human remains were found, and a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Officers believe they have now identified the man, who they believe to be a man in his 60s that lived in Salford, and his family have been informed. Two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder probe, with officers saying they are thought to have lived with the victim.
Greater Manchester Police / Facebook
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for this investigation, said in a statement at Blackleach reservoir yesterday, Sunday April 28th: “We have continued to make significant progress in our investigation into human remains being found in Kersal earlier this month.
“From day one, our priority has been to identify the man and his family so that we can give them the support and the answers that they need.
“Thanks to meticulous forensic work, we are now confident we have identified the man. Formal identification hasn’t yet taken place, but we believe he is a man in his 60s and lived in Salford.
“Specially-trained family liaison officers have met with his family this afternoon to give them the devastating news, and we will do all that we can to support them at this awful time.
“We believe he is known to the two suspects we have in custody. They have remained in custody for questioning over the weekend, as we work to establish how the victim met this tragic outcome.”
#UPDATE | Following developments this weekend in #Salford we are confident we have identified the victim, with his family being supported since.
This is after further human remains were found, with two men remaining in custody for questioning.
He continued: “We have painstakingly worked to follow up every line of inquiry in this investigation. Over the last couple of days, we have acted on information and had four scenes in place for extensive searches – one of them is at a warehouse in Bury, and three of them are in Salford, including here at Blackleach reservoir.
“Today, we have found some human remains at the reservoir here, and last night a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Forensic tests will continue to establish whose remains these are, but we are very confident that this is also the victim in our investigation.
“We have also been searching a house in Winton where we believe the victim and the two suspects lived. We have found evidence that the victim is likely to have died there – most likely in late March.
“While this is significant progress, we know there is still some way to go to complete this investigation. I also recognise details of this case will have been distressing for the people of Salford and beyond – including the officers that are diligently working on this investigation, and most importantly the man’s heartbroken family.
“Local officers will continue to patrol the affected areas, and we will provide updates when we have more information.”