BBC Dragons’ Den star Hilary Devey has sadly died at the age of 65 at her Moroccan holiday home, it has been confirmed.
A spokesperson for the Secret Millionaire star said: “I can confirm that Hilary sadly died yesterday.
“She had been ill for some time.”
The star had a whole host of business prospects before and after starring on the BBC show from 2011 until 2012, with her main business being Pall-Ex, a palletised freight distribution network of lorries.
Pall-Ex is said to handle around 8,000 palletised consignments each day from its Lancashire hub.
But she has also invested in everything from duvet company Duvalay, courier service Pronto Couriers and events company Wow Table Art.
(Image: PA)
Along with her holiday home in Morocco, Hilary also owned a majestic country home, which was put up for sale in 2018 and boasted connections to King Edward VII.
The house was built in the 1850s, and hosted the king for a visit in 1902 and then again in 1907.
Across her wide range of assets, Hilary was also a keen ambassador for various charities, and regularly donated to Carers’ Trust, The Stroke Association, the Sussex-based Fresh Start – New Beginnings and the British Citizen Awards.
(Image: PA)
But she also had a huge array of TV appearances under her belt, including Channel 4 series The Intern, Running the Shop and Loose Women.
Her Channel 4 series followed three interns who had been given an opportunity to take up a career in their chosen dream job.
However due to low ratings, Channel 4 eventually decided to abort the programme and Devey moved onto to filming another programme for the same broadcasters in 2014.
(Image: BBC/Andy Farrington)
It’s hardly a surprise, then, that Hilary’s net worth at the time of her death was said to be around £65million.
Hilary built herself up from relatively little, explaining how, as a seven-year-old she’d witnessed her father going bankrupt.
He had owned a central heating company which failed, with Devey admitting bailiffs attended her home to remove furniture and various household goods.
Later in life, her dad made a living managing various pubs and hotels.
Bolton-born Hilary, meanwhile, left school at the tender age of 16 to serve in the Women’s Royal Air Force in the traffic control and supply accounts department at RAF Brize Norton.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
