We’re used to seeing Duncan Bannatyne strike business deals on Dragon’s Den. But it is at the peaceful sanctuary of his lodge on Lake Windermere where the tycoon feels most at home.Talking exclusively to HELLO! in this week’s issue, the straight-talking Scot says that spending time at his modest holiday home with his family helped him get over his recent bitter divorce, which he wrote about with some candour in his autobiography, Riding the Storm. “I think this placed saved me, coming here,” he says.He spends every other weekend wakeboarding with his 11-year-old son Tom from his second marriage, the pair going out on the water in their very own adventure playground. They are often joined at the weekends by Duncan’s four grown-up daughters from his first marriage – Abigail, 30, Hollie, 27, Jennifer, 21 and Eve, 19.“I’m optimistic about the future,” says the 64-year-old entrepreneur. “I want to put this disastrous situation behind me. I’m lucky to have wonderful children and friends and to be able to enjoy life.”Riding the Storm: My Journey to the Brink and Back (Random House, RRP: £18.99); HELLO! readers can buy it for the special price of £15, including free p&p. To order, call 01206-225800, quoting the reference “Hello! Magazine”.
