Forget the headlines: This is Jill Dando's true legacy
The business news that matters.
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Off to Lunch…
We’re going to switch gears completely on this Friday edition. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the death of renowned journalist Jill Dando. She hosted a range of BBC programming from the Six O'Clock News to Crimewatch and was on a fast track to becoming a national treasure.
On 26 April 26 1999, Dando was shot on her front doorstep in Fulham. The past two and a half decades of speculation from numerous news stories, documentaries and podcasts has swirled around the tragic event. However, a news centre that bears Dando’s name in her hometown of Weston-super-Mare is her true legacy.
The Jill Dando News Centre has more than 100 students aged eight to 18 who get taught the fundamentals of journalism and spread positivity through the Good News Post. They’ve had high-profile interviews with then-PM Boris Johnson, Fiona Bruce, Cliff Richard, Richard Branson – and many more.
Business Leader is proud to have partnered with the news centre since the start of last year. The brilliant Jill Dando News Centre students have put hard-hitting questions to figures such as Martin Sorrell, Jake Humphrey and John Caudwell.
Who doesn’t need a little more positivity in their lives?
Podcast…
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The new episode of our Business Leader podcast looks at UK fintech Tide. In 2018 its founder, George Bevis, stood aside as chief executive and was succeeded by Oliver Prill. Since then, Tide has grown rapidly and transformed from a promising financial technology start-up to a company whose online banking services are used by one in 10 small and medium-sized businesses in the UK.
Prill discusses the challenges of becoming chief executive, how to disrupt the financial services industry and why regulators may hold back innovation in the UK.
You can listen to the episode on Substack here, Spotify here and Apple here
Other stories that matter…
1. Troubled double-glazing supplier Everest has called in administrators. The company, who is one of the country’s most renowned window and doors brands has been owned by turnaround specialist Jon Moulton's Better Capital for more than a decade. Having gone through a pre-pack administration in June 2020, the move is a fresh blow for the troubled home improvement market. You can read more here.
2. British cybersecurity darling Darktrace has agreed a £4.3bn deal with American private equity firm Thoma Bravo. Darktrace said the deal would allow it to expand more quickly into overseas markets. Controversial former chief executive of UK software company Autonomy Mike Lynch is in line for a £170m payout from the deal, despite being on trial stateside for fraud. You can read more here.
3. Anglo America has batted down BHP’s £31bn takeover bid saying that it “significantly undervalues“ the company and its future prospects. The proposed bid sent shockwaves through London and South Africa, where Anglo American’s footprint looms large. You can read more here.
4. The Economist has looked into Tesla’s true identity and asks if it’s a carmaker or a tech firm. The company’s share price has been on the up since its earnings call on Wednesday where it revealed that “more affordable” models are the company’s focus. You can read the piece here.
5. Bytedance has ruled out a sale of TikTok despite Joe Biden passing a law to force the sale or be banned from the country. The US is concerned that the social media app’s owner is “controlled by the Chinese government” but Bytedance has hit back saying that the move is “a clear violation of the first amendment rights of the 170 million Americans on TikTok“. You can read more here.
And finally…
If you haven’t watched ITV’s The 1% Club, I would highly recommend you give it a go. The Lee Mack-hosted show isn’t a general knowledge or Countdown-style quiz show. Its questions force you to apply logic, test your reasoning skills and use common sense.
The show’s format sees 100 contestants begin every show, but to make it to the end and win the top prize of up to £100,000, contestants must correctly answer a question only 1% of the country would get right.
Here’s an example question:
P.S. The answer to this question can be found at the start of the Podcast section above…
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