BBC Dragons' Den fans divided as Ukrainian refugee bags £80k for business despite lack of questions

Ukrainian refugee Yana Smaglo came to the den with her clothing brand Nenya, which aims to bring fashion from her homeland to the world market, seeking £80,000 for 10 per cent of her business.

"Nenya - made in Ukraine, with love and bravery," she declared during her pitch.

Smaglo came to the UK two years ago with just £5,000 in savings and some essentials.

"I escaped so quick and just grabbed somethings that I had at home," she told the Dragons, explaining how she packed her laptop, cash, documents and items she could sell.

The entrepreneur explained she was able to start her business with the savings despite, as a refugee, not being able to "take any loans from any financial institutions here because they expect that you give the loan back for six months before your visa finishes".

Nenya has already achieved a £100,000 turnover in just one year.

"When you lose everything that you worked for and your home, and you need to build your life again, that drives you a lot," Smaglo told the Dragons, "I really want to help and do something for my home country."

Her emotional pitch moved several Dragons to tears, with Deborah Meaden admitting: "Gosh I feel a bit choked up, I don't get choked up very often, do I?"

Her emotional pitch moved several Dragons to tears, with Meaden admitting: "Gosh I feel a bit choked up, I don't get choked up very often, do I?"

The Dragon praised Smaglo's business model, noting: "I'm trying to separate heart from head here because at the end of the day when people are buying their products, they want something they love and I think you're hitting a sweet spot."

"Yana, I think it's incredible because I think you're a really great bet, whether it's this or something else you do, I'd love to be on that journey," Bartlett added.

Three Dragons - Meaden, Bartlett and Sara Davies - offered the full £80,000 investment while Touker Suleyman suggested a potential collaboration with all four Dragons.

Smaglo chose to partner with both Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett, splitting the £80,000 investment between them.

The happy ending did not sit well with some viewers who felt Smalgo was given more lenient treatment by the dragons because of her background.

One complained: "This is simply unbelievable on #dragonsden Ukrainian woman with no money and no real business experience is now distributing clothes around the world for high-end clients Clothes made in Kharkiv… pull the other one.., this is absolutely ridiculous and seems fake and not a real business… really weird!"

“Peter Jones is the only guy who has a f*****g brain.... Others are blindly investing because of the Ukraine heart story

"Numbers are made up in my opinion, all fairy tales.. it's just distributing clothes FFS #dragonsden,” another unhappy fan wrote.

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A third recalled: "Meaden ripping the bathroom pitch to bits but is happy to give money to an unknown Ukrainian refugee with no experience.. #dragonsden."

"Hate to say it because I love the show but #DragonDen really gone down people used to get asked really tough questions and had to really work for it! Now they just turn up with a sob story and they get it if she hadn’t come from Ukraine she wouldn’t be getting an investment," a fourth complained.

However, others were happy to see Smalgo get the investment for her business.

"Hope this Ukrainian lady does well but still waiting this series for Deborah to check someone claiming to have a patent’s paperwork when they’ve really only applied for one #dragonsden," one wrote.

Another added: "So inspiring and @DeborahMeaden made me emotional she's outstanding and helping so many products I hope she gets a dragon."