Behind the Scenes
Executive Producers: Michelle Langer and Daniela Neumann
The inspiration for Tycoon came simply from Peter Jones’ frustration with Great Britain.
Peter believes that everyone has a good business idea but fear of failure and lack of entrepreneurial spirit stops most of us acting on our impulses.
Peter strongly believes that entrepreneurs are made not born and that with the right combination of a great idea, passion and drive, anyone can make it.
So when we started the application process for Tycoon we made sure everyone knew about it.
From cab drivers to the Women’s Institute, Facebook to Saga we wanted to open the doors to budding entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and walks of life.
While the production team worked through the thousands of applications, Peter travelled up and down the country spreading the word and meeting hopefuls.
He started in Scotland’s West Kilbride, the most entrepreneurial town in Britain, and ended on ITV1's Loose Women where for once it was Peter’s turn to experience a panel grilling.
Working with Peter is like being with a human dynamo.
In the time you and I have probably had one or two hot dinners he will have written a book, done half a dozen interviews, been whisked down a couple of red carpets and invested a few million.
The message seemed to be heard and over our three month search we certainly received some memorable pitches: scratch and sniff porn magazines, a folding bike which didn’t fold and a can to trap trapped wind.
Choosing our six was a hard task.
They had to have an idea that Peter thought he could develop, have enough drive to work under pressure and also be able to handle TV cameras following them round 24/7.
Our final entrepreneurs stood out for their passion – Elizabeth who sacrificed a £60,000 a year job in the pursuit of her dream to break into the drinks market.
Mothers and wives Cathy and Helen who have left seven children between them to grow their designer fashion range for gardeners and Lauren who has given up a successful modeling career to turn her clip in hair extensions into the must have fashion accessory.
The boys are equally determined.
Tom has taken a year off school to create a newspaper for teens, Justin has left his wife and two children to pursue their eco solution for carrier bags and Iain combines work with responsability for his elderly grand mother who brought him up.
They all said goodbye to their lives for 10 weeks to move into Tycoon Tower in the heart of London and they’re not the only ones.
It takes a team of 60 to make the series, and it took a month to build. The Bargehouse at Oxo Tower, the home of Tycoon Tower, was fantastically situated but the inside was a derelict warehouse that needed transforming into aspirational offices.
No expense was spared. The office furniture is state of the art from Herman Miller and the chairs used by the entrepreneurs are one of the most expensive and comfortable office chairs available costing nearly £2000 in the shops.
Peter's desk is vintage walnut and weighing over 200kg, it took eight people to carry it up the stairs. 500 square meters of industrial carpet was used to cover the derelict concrete floors, which also helps the sound department.
Everything on the set had to come through a 70cm wide door and be carried up three flights of narrow stairs.
As the set was built in situ, unfortunately it will have to be destroyed when we leave the building.
Peter's office in Tycoon Tower is now his favourite and he's going to find it hard to let it go.
Even the outside was a challenge and it took a team of four abseilers to install the large Tycoon banner which can be seen from across The Thames.
Four weeks into filming and the entrepreneurs have been working round the clock to achieve their targets.
They have already consumed over 1000 bottles of water and have travelled more than 10,000 miles.
Over 15,000 minutes of footage has been shot recording their adventures across the UK and worldwide as far as China.
.jpg)
Peter has said for a while that business TV is the new rock and roll.
We hope that in his quest to make Britain's next Tycoon we can reveal some of the secrets of business and show that with the right state of mind anyone with the right drive and passion can make it.
