On the evening of February 12, 2026, BBC One’s Dragons’ Den returned with a fresh batch of hopeful entrepreneurs pitching their innovative ideas to a panel of seasoned investors. But this episode had an extra dash of star power: Susie Ma, the beauty mogul and founder of Tropic Skincare, stepped into the den as a guest Dragon, bringing with her a story of grit, growth, and a recently completed business full circle.
Susie Ma’s journey is the stuff of modern entrepreneurial legend. At just 15, she began selling homemade body scrubs at a market stall, with her mother’s modest £200 investment as seed capital. Fast forward to today, and Ma, now 37, helms Tropic Skincare, a health and beauty brand boasting an annual turnover of around £68 million, according to Metro. Her path to success included a memorable run as a finalist on BBC’s The Apprentice, where she famously asked, “Are the French very fond of their children?” and caught the attention of Lord Alan Sugar, who invested in her fledgling business despite her not winning the series.
But the partnership between Ma and Sugar was never quite a match made in business heaven. As Ma explained in a candid interview with Metro, “Lord Sugar and I reached an amicable decision a few years back and it has felt really liberating because he was an investor, that’s all he did. He invested money in lots of different companies, but he didn’t have the heart for my business. He didn’t wake up in the morning and think what moisturiser should I help Susie develop, or which ambassador should we celebrate?” She added, “He didn’t care about any of that. He cared about the bottom line and how much dividend he could take from the business, and that doesn’t resonate with founders or owners of businesses… we never really saw eye to eye at the end of each financial year.”
In April 2023, Ma made a bold move. She bought back Lord Sugar’s shares in Tropic Skincare for an undisclosed sum, regaining full ownership and, as reported by The Times, paid herself a £20 million dividend. “It just felt like how it should be. Me, the captain, steering the ship by myself, and it felt amazing not having to run decisions past somebody else. So, it does feel like a full circle moment,” Ma told Metro. The buyout marked a new chapter for Ma and Tropic, one defined by complete autonomy and a renewed sense of purpose.
Her guest appearance on Dragons’ Den marked yet another milestone. Unlike her fellow Dragons, Ma was quick to point out, “Prior to Dragons’ Den, I had never invested in another business. My sole source of income is from Tropic, all the other Dragons are investors.” For Ma, the motivation wasn’t about profit: “I’m not going into the show, thinking about how do I make money from these dragons. I’m going and thinking, Do they have the same values as I do? Is their product something that is like something that I believe in?”
This philosophy was on full display as she considered the night’s pitches. Among the businesses vying for investment was Cubbi, a money-saving app for new and expecting parents, launched in 2023 by sisters Olivia and Tanyka Davson. As described by The Independent, Cubbi is a discount platform reminiscent of Unidays or the Blue Light Card, but tailored for parents. The app, free to download, requires proof of eligibility—anything from a MATB1 form to a baby loss certificate—and then unlocks discounts for users at over 150 brands, including Boots and Angel and Rocket. Ma decided to invest, saying, “It’s so nice to invest in a mum-founded business that has real purpose and real heart. I don’t think there are enough businesses to help support mothers, and it’s not until you give birth, that you realise how much your life changes.”
Other pitches that night included Craft & Crumb, a business founded in 2016 by friends Kate and Louise. Their themed bake-and-craft kits are designed to make home baking fun and stress-free for families, with products ranging from biscuit-decorating sets to plastic-free party bags. The company aims to encourage screen-free time and creativity in the kitchen, with kits available both directly and through Amazon.
Then there was CompoCloset, a business born out of necessity and a desire for cleaner, greener off-grid living. Co-founders Richard Peter and Erica Pugh, as reported by StokeonTrentLive, pitched their portable, waterless toilets designed for campervans, boats, and tiny homes. Richard, who hails from Stafford and attended Blessed William Howard High School, developed the idea while traveling in a campervan. Their latest innovation, the S1 Dry Flush Sealing Toilet, uses sealing and urine-diverting technology to make off-grid sanitation more convenient and environmentally friendly. “Taking part in the programme gave us the chance to talk about a problem many people who live or travel off-grid know well, and to share how we’ve been trying to improve that experience,” Richard said after filming. Erica added, “It was exciting to bring a practical off-grid solution to the programme and to discuss where sanitation technology could go next.”
Last into the den were brothers Martin and Tomas, founders of OnlyCat, an AI-powered cat flap launched in 2025. This high-tech pet product uses a camera and artificial intelligence to detect whether a cat is carrying prey before allowing entry. It also features a microchip scanner to manage which cats can come and go, and even sends clips to owners’ phones of any failed attempts by their feline friends to sneak in with a mouse or bird. The product retails at £499, or via a subscription model with an up-front fee and monthly payments.
Throughout the episode, the Dragons—Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Steven Bartlett, and guest Susie Ma—grilled the entrepreneurs on everything from manufacturing and market focus to the potential for scaling their products to new markets. The panel’s mix of experience, skepticism, and encouragement made for compelling television, with Ma’s fresh perspective as a founder-operator (rather than a serial investor) adding a new dynamic to the discussions.
Ma’s own story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of staying true to one’s values. Reflecting on her journey, she shared with Metro how her mother’s early support changed both their lives: “By the time I was 17 I put a deposit down on a house for my mum and I to move into… Then when I was 21 I actually paid off my mum’s mortgage.” She has since been able to buy her mother three houses, a remarkable turnaround from their early days after emigrating from Australia to the UK when Ma was just 13.
Dragons’ Den continues to air on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One, with episodes available on BBC iPlayer. For viewers, the show remains a window into the ambitions, challenges, and occasional triumphs of Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit. And for Susie Ma, her latest appearance is proof that sometimes, the best investments are those made in yourself and your values—no matter how tough the journey or how high the stakes.