Bartlett Resigns from Huel Board Amid Controversy
Portfolio - People | Feb 04, 2025 | Business Cloud
Steven Bartlett, known for his appearance on Dragons’ Den, has resigned from his role as director of Huel, a nutrition brand that links the concept of human fuel. Although specifics behind his departure are currently undisclosed, business documents show his exit was effective January 20th, marking the end of a nearly four-year tenure. Previously garnering criticism for undisclosed advertising connections on his social media platforms, Bartlett’s investments in companies Zoe and Huel have raised concerns around transparency. These concerns were further aggravated when two promotional ads featuring Bartlett for Huel were banned this year by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for potentially misleading audiences as independent endorsements. A similar critical lens has been placed on Bartlett’s podcast ‘The Diary of a CEO’ where a BBC investigation revealed health claims by guests on the show. Despite these controversies, Bartlett's production company, Flight Studio, defended the integrity and mission of the podcast. Bartlett’s resignation from Huel follows these PR challenges, yet public statements or personal insight from him have remained sparse.
Sectors
- Nutrition and Health
- Media and Advertising
Geography
- United Kingdom – Steven Bartlett and his business activities, including the company positions and controversies, are primarily based in the UK. Huel's operations and legal registrations through Companies House also relate to the UK.
Industry
- Nutrition and Health – Huel is a nutrition brand, producing food supplements and meal replacements, thus classified within the nutrition and health industry. The sector relates to products aimed at enhancing well-being and health.
- Media and Advertising – Steven Bartlett's association with social media marketing through his company Social Chain, and his podcast criticisms underscore the media and advertising industry. This sector involves brand promotions, advertisements, and information dissemination.
Financials
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Bartlett | Former Director | Person | Dragons’ Den star, entrepreneur, and former director at Huel. CEO podcast host, and founder of the social media marketing agency, Social Chain. |
| Huel | Company | Target Company, Nutrition Brand | A nutrition brand co-founded by Julian Hearn in 2015, known for meal replacement products and supplements. |
| Companies House | Regulatory Body | Government | Official UK government registrar of company records, filing documents related to business operations. |
| Zoe | Company | Other Company | A health and nutrition brand that Steven Bartlett is an investor in, involved in the social media promotional controversy. |
| ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) | Regulatory Body | Government | The UK's regulator of advertising across all media, highlighting misleading advertising practices in this case. |
| Flight Studio | Production Company | Other Company | Production company responsible for producing 'The Diary of a CEO', Steven Bartlett's podcast. |