Duncan Bannatyne reveals he had to flee his Portuguese mansion due to wildfires
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Former Dragons' Den investor Duncan Bannatyne has revealed he had to flee his mansion in the Algarve due to wildfires this week.
Bannatyne lives in the opulent Golden Triangle area of Portugal, which has been hit with wildfires this week amid a deadly heatwave which has seen temperatures predicted to rise as high as 45C.
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The 73-year-old businessman shared a video of the raging fire to his Twitter page, describing the situation as a "terrible day" for those in the area.
In a subsequent tweet replying to one of his followers, Bannatyne said that he and others had been "evicted from our homes" in order to flee the flames and smoke.
Watch: Wildfires rage across Europe
Terrible day in the Algarve today. pic.twitter.com/cWTzrAtsb2
— Duncan Bannatyne (@DuncanBannatyne) July 13, 2022
Exactly. We were evicted from our homes here today but luckily most fires were contained by early evening https://t.co/eZMoqbiVfA
— Duncan Bannatyne (@DuncanBannatyne) July 13, 2022
Yes. We had to leave our homes today but luckily very few properties were damaged https://t.co/iYuXpgl7KK
— Duncan Bannatyne (@DuncanBannatyne) July 13, 2022
He added: "We had to leave our homes today, but luckily very few properties were damaged".
The area of the Algarve where Bannatyne lives is also home to properties owned by former England footballers John Terry and Steven Gerrard, as well as Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
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The Daily Mail reported that around 70 people in the area were asked to evacuate their homes to avoid the fires, with Bannatyne stating that the situation was "scary".
He lives in the Algarve mansion with his third wife Nigora Whitehorn, who he married in 2017.
Bannatyne began his business career with the purchase of an ice cream van, expanding with multiple vans and subsequently founding a chain of nursing homes.
He expanded into fitness shortly afterwards, founding the gargantuan Bannatyne Health Club & Spa chain.
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In 2005, he was a part of the inaugural panel of investors on BBC business show Dragons' Den, departing the show in 2015 after 12 series.
He has written seven books and has an OBE for his services to charities including Mary's Meals and Action for Children.
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