DRAGONS TRAGEDY
Hilary Devey dead – Dragons’ Den star dies aged 65 after long battle with illness
DRAGONS' Den star Hilary Devey has tragically died at the age of 65.
The TV favourite was staying at her holiday home in Morocco when she passed away on Saturday, her agent confirmed today.
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Her spokesman told The Sun: "I can confirm that Hilary sadly died yesterday.
"She had been ill for some time."
Friends rushed to social media to pay tribute to the star.
Her co-star Duncan Bannatyne tweeted: Sad to hear that Hilary Devey has passed. So young. Too young. Rest in Peace Hilary."
Theo Paphitis tweeted: "So sad to hear of the passing of the lovely Hilary Devey.
"She left us all with some fantastic memories, may she rest in peace. My thoughts are with her family."
Haulage boss Hilary, who received a CBE in 2013 for services to the transport industry and charity, starred in a series of TV shows.
She featured on the Secret Millionaire in 2008 and donated more than £70,000 to the Back Door Music Project and the Syke Community Centre in Rochdale.
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In March 2010, she presented The Business Inspector for Channel 5, a four-part documentary series aimed at transforming struggling businesses.
But twice-divorced Hilary's big break came in February 2011 when she joined the panel on the Dragons' Den, following the departure of James Caan.
She later announced she was leaving the series in June 2012 after signing a two-year agreement with Channel 4 before joining the Loose Women panel in 2015.
Hilary made her fortune after launching freight network Pall-Ex in 1996.
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She later revealed how her mum discovered, years into her relationship with Devey's father, that he already had a wife and four children.
Devey, a patron of the Stroke Association, also suffered the same fate after discovering that her ex-partner was also already married with five children.
Hilary amassed a £50million fortune during her glittering career.
But she spoke openly about her struggles, including helping her own son, Mevlit, overcome his heroin and crack cocaine addiction.
After splitting from her third husband, property developer Philip Childs, in 2013 she admitted: "I don't trust easily.
"Life has taught me not to always take people at face value."
She suffered a debilitating stroke following a tummy tuck in 2009 - which robbed her of some peripheral vision and sensation in her left arm - but was back at work within six months.
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Speaking in 2013 Hilary said: "I'm not anxious about my health now. We're here for a given period of time and Him upstairs will decide when he wants us."
She added: "I don't like getting old, but that's life. I have Botox. I'd have a facelift if I knew the results would be good, but I don't want to look like a freak."
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