Quotes from Deborah Meaden

I don't think I'm ruthless, but I'm very driven, irritatingly so.

I'm deeply impatient. If I can't park directly in front of somewhere, I go home.

People can be very serious with me, and expect me to be very businesslike all the time. So I have to help them get over that by showing them that I enjoy life.

You need emotional intelligence; to be happy to take risks; to be competitive and to look forward not backwards.

I did ballroom dancing at school, but I was atrocious.

I think I'm absolutely perfect. Because if I'm not good at something I completely banish it from my mind. Completely. Like it never happened.

I am a more rounded person than you see on television. You don't bark your way to being a success.

I'm not going to be told that I shouldn't be doing anything, or behaving in any particular way at any age of my life.

I don't cook at all, and whenever my husband Paul goes away he leaves meals for me and I can't even be bothered to put them in the oven.

Running the country is like running one big business.

I suffer from reverse body dysmorphia. When I look in the mirror I see somebody slimmer. It's quite a shock to see myself on TV, especially on widescreen.

Peter Jones is hot.

Much as I'm loving the 'Strictly' experience, I'm sure I'll always be better known for my business career and my appearances on 'Dragons' Den' than I will for my cha-cha-cha or Viennese waltz.

My parents felt I should earn my money because I would then value it. So they would pay me a shilling or two to do jobs such as washing the car, cleaning and washing up.

You can't beat a bar of chocolate between cheap white bread - there is nothing like it.

I think the thing about business is that it's not completely separate to life. You're selling to people so it's all about life skills - and common sense.

I'm not great at taking compliments because I always find the thing I could do better.

I feel like the luckiest person alive. I spend my life doing the stuff I love. I'm surrounded by inventive people who are full of energy and life.

I think Cate Blanchett always gets it right. She seems very natural and wears interesting but not ridiculous clothes - she seems to push the boundaries just enough.

My first paid job was leading pony rides along Minehead seafront when I was eight. I probably got paid sixpence - not much but I loved horses and it gave me a great chance to be near them.

Retirement has never, ever crossed my mind. And I honestly can't imagine when or why it would. If you're doing the thing you love, why on earth would you want to stop doing it?

I'm not particularly tactile.

People who buy your product or use your service don't care how tall or short you are, or what gender you are, or your age. It is irrelevant. That is not the basis on which your product is judged.

I won't get involved in businesses that I think cut across any kind of animal welfare issues.