Inside Hilary Devey's life - secret family tragedy, son's drug battle and divorce
dailystar.co.ukDragons' Den's Hilary Devey appeared on the show back in 2011 after reportedly losing a stone in anticipation of her role, with her replacing former Dragon James Caan.She previously admitted she was “an avid fan of the show from the start” and had previously been asked, but she “was busy with other projects”.Hilary made her millions after she launched Pall-Ex, a freight distribution company, in 1996.She since became a household name for her stern, no-nonsense attitude on Dragons' Den, and for her philanthropic ventures for The Stroke Association.The star tragically died on June 11 after “a long illness” so in honour, take a look back at the Bolton-born business woman’s life over the years.Hilary’s son Mevlit was addicted to heroin and had a £600 a day habit, which once meant she had to “drag him from a drug den” feeling “frightened and concerned”.The business tycoon said that she had spent £500,000 on helping him to recover.She told This Is Money: “The hardest work I've ever done is pulling my son back from the grip of heroin.
He was six weeks from dying when I found out about his drug-taking seven years ago. It has been an utter hell.”Hilary admitted that “for a long time” she had to “lock every door behind her” because he would “steal her clothes, food, electrical household items” and “anything he could sell for money to get a fix”.Mevlit also “stole cash from her purse, took money out from her bank account and pawned her jewellery”.His behaviour was unpredictable as they “adored each other” but he would “suddenly go off into a rage and a rant”, which she blamed on herself.Hilary opened up: “I ask myself if things would have been different had I not been so busy doing Pall-Ex.
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