Manchester

Manchester-based entrepreneur Steven Bartlett becomes Dragon on Dragons’ Den

He's made history as the youngest Dragon ever

The Manc The Manc - 13th May 2021

Manchester-based social media entrepreneur Steven Bartlett has made history by becoming the youngest ever Dragon to join BBC One’s popular investment programme Dragons’ Den.

The 28-year-old former CEO of Social Chain, an agency that he started in his Manchester bedroom back in 2014, will join the 19th series of the show – which is due to start filming this summer.

Steven was just just 20 when he launched Social Chain alongside his best mate and COO, Dominic McGregor. In six years, the pair oversaw the growth of the business which saw it scale rapidly, employing over 750 people with upwards of $200,000,000 in revenue and offices in London, Berlin and New York.

Company | The Social Chain Group AG
Social Chain Manchester

Both Steven and Dom stepped down from Social Chain last year to pursue new endeavours. The company had just merged merged with German online retailer Lumaland AG to become The Social Chain AG and had listed on XETRA and the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange.

Social Chain has a current market valuation of more than £300 million.

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Speaking on the move to join Dragons’ Den, which he announced on his Twitter and Instagram this afternoon, Steven said: “I’ve been watching Dragons’ Den since I was 12 years old – it was my first window into the real world of business and investing.

“It’s a tremendous honour to join the Den, hopefully representing a new generation of entrepreneurs, inspiring young and specifically under-represented entrepreneurs to follow in my footsteps.”

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Chi Ukairo, Dragons’ Den executive producer at BBC Studios, added: “Steven is a great addition to the Den and we are all looking forward to seeing him in action when we start filming this summer.”

Bartlett takes over from Tej Lalvani, who announced his departure from the show earlier this year.

Dragons’ Den is airing on BBC One on Thursdays at 8pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.

Manchester

Travis Scott announces massive Manchester gig at Co-op Live arena

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Travis Scott has announced a Manchester gig at Co-op Live on his Utopia 2024 tour

Travis Scott will be bringing his epic Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour to Manchester this summer, announcing a huge gig at the Co-op Live arena.

The rapper and producer today released details of 12 arena and stadium dates across Europe, including his biggest UK headline show to date at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

His 2023 album Utopia became the biggest hip-hop album of the last year, racking up more than 50 billion streams globally and spending four weeks at the top of the Billboard charts.

And now Travis Scott is heading to Manchester’s new Co-op Live as part of the European leg of the tour, which sold out across North America.

The Utopia – Circus Maximus tour will donate £1 (or one euro) from every ticket sold to the artist’s Cactus Jack Foundation, which helps young people in Houston with scholarship programmes, toys, and experiences.

The eight-time Grammy-nominated artist will play hits from his record-breaking Utopia, as well as his three previous studio albums – Rodeo, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, and Astroworld.

Travis Scott’s live show is promising to ‘transport fans into an unparalleled audiovisual experience’ when it kicks off in the Netherlands in June, before arriving in Manchester in July.

Tickets for his Manchester gig will go on sale on Friday 10 May at 10am local time through See Tickets here.

Travis Scott 2024 European tour dates in full

  • Friday 28 June – Netherlands, Arnhem – GelreDome
  • Tuesday 2 July – Poland, Krakow – TAURON Arena
  • Thursday 4 July – Switzerland, Zurich – Hallenstadion
  • Saturday 6 July – France, Nice – Allianz Riviera
  • Monday 9 July – Belgium, Antwerp – Sportpaleis
  • Thursday 11 July – UK, London – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
  • Saturday 13 July – UK, Manchester – Co-op Live
  • Tuesday 16 July – Germany, Hamburg – Barclays Arena
  • Thursday 18 July – Czech Republic, Prague – O2 Arena
  • Saturday 20 July – Germany, Cologne – RheinEnergieSTADION
  • Tuesday 23 July – Italy, Milan – Ippodromo SNAI La Maura
  • Saturday 27 July – Germany, Frankfurt – Deutsche Bank Park

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Featured image: Publicity picture

Manchester

A young lad is walking all the way from Manchester to Ibiza for a truly tear-jerking cause

Danny Jones Danny Jones Henry Moores walking from Manchester to Ocean Beach club in Ibiza for charity

We recently came across the story of a young man who has set himself the task of walking all the way from Manchester to Ibiza in an effort to raise money for a truly tear-jerking charitable cause.

In case you haven’t heard of him already, the legend responsible behind this is Henry Oscar Moores, a 21-year-old from Macclesfield in Cheshire who is essentially completing a marathon every single day to complete his voyage from rainy 0161 to sunny Spain.

Nearly halfway into his epic trek already, the youngster has been battling plenty of obstacles, not least heavy rain – and that was just here in Greater Manchester…

Going live each day as thousands of followers tune in to support his latest steps, his real-world journey has sparked a wholesome new community online and we’ve got nothing but the utmost respect.

@henryoscarmoores Day 24 Walking from Manchester to Ibiza #henryswalk ♬ Solas X Interstellar – Gabriel Albuquerqüe

What is Henry Moores raising money for?

It’s set to take him around 60 days in total, all being well, but what exactly is Henry Moores doing all this for? Or rather who?

Well, the answer is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, as the ‘Henry Walk’ from Manchester to Ibiza is all in aid of the Tony Hudgell Foundation, a charity set up in honour of the now nine-year-old boy of the same name and the youngest ever Pride of Britain winner.

Hudgell was sadly the victim of horrific child abuse ever since he was a toddler, so much so that he had to have both of his legs amputated as a result of the treatment. In 2020, when he was still just five, Tony set out to raise £500 by walking 10k in his prosthetic legs. He ended up amassing £1.8m. Incredible.

With a non-profit officially registered in his name since 2021, the organisation aims to provide support to children affected by physical, emotional or psychological abuse. His story also helped usher in Tony’s Law. Now taking over the reins, Henry is pounding the pavement on his behalf – and smashing it.

He’s even been given an added incentive by Ibiza’s Ocean Beach owner, Wayne Lineker.

Promising to help Henry finish the walk if he makes it all the way to his final 30k leg in Ibiza Town to the famous club – he’s already polished off the 507km from Manchester to Portsmouth and is currently chipping away at the 1818km stint from Caen in France to Denia – Lineker and the likes of radio DJ Charlie Sloth have been backing the effort since day one.

He actually achieved a similar feat last year, raising over £20k by walking from Macclesfield to Paris to provide Christmas meals and experiences to those less fortunate across the region. Here’s even been running some sections. We’re sure there’ll be a victory shot or two waiting for him at the finish line too.

Describing Tony as an inspirational young figure “who captures hearts with his bravery, optimism, and infectious smile”, even despite his daily struggle and constant treatment, we can’t overstate the admiration we have for both of them. He’s already smashed his initial £20k and just keeps going.

“We really appreciate any donations; we know times are tough. Don’t hesitate if you can’t donate; continue to share and support us in any other way. Thanks to everyone for the past couple of weeks; it’s been insane.” You can do your bit by donating HERE or to Tony Hudgell’s operation fund directly.

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Featured Images — Henry Moores (via Instagram)/JustGiving

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