Richard Beardsell (born 19 January 1979World sprint champion sentenced after using Covid loans to help buy £1.3 million home Insolvency Service, Gov.uk - 23 July 2025) is an entrepreneurDragons’ Den entrepreneur used Covid business loans to buy £1.8m house, Protein bottle shaker founder avoided jail despite £100,000 fraud - Daily Telegraph, 23 July 2025Meet Our Founder, Rick Beardsell - ShakeSphere and former track and field sprint athlete who competed as a Masters athlete for Great Britain.
Personal Bests EventPersonal Best60m6.96i100m10.67200m21.47400m47.52800m1:54.44i
Fraud conviction In July 2025, Beardsell was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, for fraudulently obtaining two Bounce Back Loans intended for COVID recovery for his company Sports Creative Limited, which he transferred to his personal account and bank accounts of his wife and other family members, using most of the funds to purchase a £1.3 million pound home in Prestbury, Cheshire.Dragons' Den winner and British world sprinting champion pocketed Covid loans to buy £1.3million mansion - Manchester Evening News, 23 July 2025Dragons’ Den athlete sentenced for using Covid loans to buy £1m house - City A.M., 23 July 2025 Beardsell, also broke the rules by inflating his company’s turnover and securing two loans, when businesses should have only received one loan. Sports Creative eventually went into liquidation, although Beardsell's other company ShakeSphere, which he had funded using an appearance on the TV show Dragon's Den, was still running successfully.
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