Former Dragons’ Den star Hilary Devey has died aged 65, her publicist has confirmed.
The TV star died on Saturday in Morocco - where she had a property - her publicist Benjamin Webb told the PA news agency.
Mr Webb confirmed that she died following a long illness.
She joined BBC Two programme Dragons’ Den in 2011 and left in 2012, going on to present Channel 4’s The Intern.
Hilary Devey was made a CBE (Steve Parsons/PA)
In 2013 she was made a CBE, honoured for a career in business and for her charitable work.
She founded the multimillion-pound freight distribution business Pall-Ex, after selling her home and car in the 1990s to finance it.
Her charity work included her position as vice president of the Carers Trust and she was also a patron of the Stroke Association, having herself suffered a stroke in 2009.
She also appeared in The Business Inspector on Channel 5.
Describing being made a CBE for services to the transport industry and to charity, she said at the time: “In every sense of the word, this is a great honour and I am equally flattered and flabbergasted.
“It is wonderful to receive such recognition, but this should be less about me, and more about the charities that I support and the amazing transport sector in which I am privileged to work.
“So I dedicate my honour to the Carers Trust, the Stroke Association, and Fresh Start – New Beginnings, and the other charities that I have tried to support, as well as to the lorry drivers, forklift truck drivers and everyone else who works in the logistics sector: the unsung heroes of British industry.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here