Dragons' Den entrepreneur who faced backlash over her 'snake oil' ear seeds that can 'cure ME' reveals she has received nearly 30,000 orders after appearing on BBC show and sold out of 'everything' within three days

• Giselle Boxer also said she had received ‘thousands of pre-orders’ after the show 

A Dragons’ Den entrepreneur who faced a backlash over her ‘snake oil’ ear seeds which she claimed could ‘cure ME’ has revealed that she had had nearly 30,000 orders since appearing on the BBC show.

Giselle Boxer, 31, from Sheffield, also revealed that her company Acu Seeds ‘sold out of everything’ and had received ‘thousands of pre-orders’ just three days after the Dragon’s Den episode she was featured in aired.

In the episode, Boxer said she had used ‘diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and ear seeds’ to aid her recovery from ME, and had turned the latter idea into the brand Acu Seeds. Boxer made history as the first ever person to receive six offers on Dragon’s Den.

The £30 gold-plated ear seeds were marketed as a treatment for ME and won a £50,000 investment from Steven Bartlett but stoked a reaction from ME campaign groups who complained about the pitch.

But ME support organisations accused her of promoting ‘unfounded’ claims that her  product is a potential cure for the illness which affects at least 250,000 people in the UK.

Giselle Boxer (pictured), 31, from Sheffield, also revealed that her company Acu Seeds ‘sold out of everything’ and had received ‘thousands of pre-orders’ just three days after the Dragon’s Den episode she was featured in aired

On the show, Deborah Meaden tried out the technique before making an offer

She also said that she received thousands of orders since the show

Boxer wrote on her Instagram page: ‘Wow, what a crazy four weeks it has been since my episode went live on Dragon’s Den.[…] I had no idea of the impact that the episode would have on my business and I’m only just coming up for air.

‘In the last four weeks, we have received nearly 30,000 orders, 10,000+ customer emails and 50,000 new social media followers.’

‘I have been working closely with Steven Bartlett to put in place new processes and support to operate at this new level. I thank you all for your patience and understanding as the business grows,’ the entrepreneur added.

READ MORE: New twist in Dragons’ Den ‘fakery’ storm as entrepreneur says she warned the BBC over woman accused of ‘selling snake oil’ when they also asked her to pitch her rival ear seeds product 

After the show was aired, various doctors and ME sufferers hit out at the BBC and the business, Acu Seeds, for promoting an alternative medicine with no scientific evidence it can help ME or fatigue.

One TikToker even accused Giselle of selling ‘snake oil’. Other people who suffer from ME and chronic fatigue syndrome have taken to social media to complain.

One TikToker, called Rebecca, who shares videos about her ME said: ‘As if it’s not bad enough she’s bragging about buying them for £3 and selling them for £30, with her gigantic gross and net margins, well it turns out she’s also selling people in her club snake oil’.

In the episode, Giselle said she went from being an advertising executive with a busy social life to unable to leave the house.

She says she was diagnosed with ME and told by doctors she would never recover or be able to have children.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) causes extreme tiredness, sleeping problems and brain fog, in less than 12 months with the help of acupuncture and Chinese ear seeds.

The mother of a three-year-old daughter then made Dragons’ Den history as she became the first contestant to get an offer from all six judges.

In her pitch, she said: ‘My business is the ideal mix of beauty and wellness. Today, I am asking for £50,000 investment for 10 per cent of my business.

Giselle Boxer, 31, from Sheffield, appeared on the BBC show in January and asked for £50,000 for a 10 per cent stake in her business, Acu Seeds

The new business partners embraced before Giselle said working with Steven was a ‘complete dream come true’

Steven, who invested £10,000 in Acu Seeds, has shared photos of the team on X

How do the ear seeds work? 

Ear seeds can work as tiny acupressure devices to help with pain, insomnia and anxiety.

Acupuncturists traditionally use vaccaria seeds, which come from the flowering herb.

Users are usually encouraged to massage the seeds two or three times a day.

This type of auriculotherapy supposedly releases natural endorphins.

According to Acu Seeds, their ear seeds have been inspired by Chinese medicine.

The brand’s ear seeds – which are plated with gold or silver – have an adhesive sticker

The website reads: ‘Think of it like reflexology, but for the ears instead of feet.

‘They also create continual, gentle pressure on nerve impulses in the ear which send messages to the brain that certain organs or systems need support.

‘The brain will then send signals and chemicals to the rest of the body to support whatever ailments you’re experiencing, releasing endorphins into the bloodstream, relaxing the nervous system, and naturally soothing pain and discomfort.’

‘Four years ago I was diagnosed with ME. I went from working in a top advertising agency with a busy social life and exercising regularly to being mostly housebound and being unable to walk more than five minutes without having to get back into bed.

‘I was told by doctors that I would never recover, work again or have children. I went on a personal healing journey using diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and ear seeds.

‘Using this combination, I believe, helped me recover in less than 12 months.

‘Soon after, I fell pregnant and it was while on maternity leave that I setup Acu Seeds after realising there was a gap in the market for ear seed kits for people to use at home’.

Ear seeds were invented by Dr. Paul Nogier in the 1950s and are similar to an ancient Chinese medicine tool, which uses the principles of acupressure but without the needles.

It also emerged that despite agreeing to an offer of £50,000 for a 12.5 per cent of her business from Steven Bartlett, 31, he is not listed as a director in the company on Companies House.

Instead his brother Jason Bartlett appears under the role, while the listing also shows that the company changed its name from Acu Seeds to East Healing Ltd. Jason is also known to be an investor in businesses and has teamed up with Steven before for projects.

The BBC’s Den was hit by nearly 500 Ofcom complaints over the entrepreneur’s claims that ear seeds aided her recovery from ME.

The regulator said the complaints had come under their ‘Fairness and Privacy’ rules which don’t require complainants to have contacted the BBC first.

Shortly afterwards it aired in January, the BBC took the episode off its streaming platform so it could review its contents before reinstating it.

Discussing the deluge of complaints in a statement, Ofcom said any decision they would take would be based on ‘an assessment of the nature of the complaints received to date’.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘Following a review of the episode, a clarification has been added to the programme on iPlayer to address the concerns raised.

‘It reads: Acu Seeds are not intended as a cure for any medical condition and advice should always be sought from a qualified healthcare provider about any health concerns.’

There is also a note in the information section of the episode to highlight that the programme has been edited since broadcast.

ME is a long-term condition with a wide range of symptoms including extreme tiredness, sleep issues and concentration problems, according to the NHS website.

Giselle often takes to Instagram to share how she was ‘cured’ from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A notice appears on BBC iPlayer when you click on the episode Giselle appeared in

Giselle also shares photos to Instagram showing her journey from ‘ME’ to wellness

Dr Charles Shepherd, honorary medical adviser at the ME Association told MailOnline: ‘Like most viewers of this programme, I was always under the impression that people applied to be on it – rather than being recruited. This does seem rather odd and should be made clear to the viewing public.’

Dr. Edzard Ernst, an MD and PhD who specialises in research around alternative medicines, said there is ‘no good evidence’ to support any of her claims.

‘There is no sound evidence that these acupressure devices are effective for ME or other conditions.

‘To give severely suffering patients false hope is unethical; to take money from it is despicable, in my view.

‘I am disappointed that the BBC uses a light entertainment programme for misleading gullible consumers and desperate patients. I hope in future the BBC might do a minimum of research before broadcasting overt medical nonsense,’ he told FEMAIL.

What is ME? 

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a long-term condition that causes extreme fatigue, sleeping difficulties and brain fog.

It is thought to affect 250,000 Brits and around 17million worldwide.

Symptoms are linked to the body and brain’s inability to recover after expending even small amounts of energy.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms and how long they last can vary from months to years.

Some find that they don’t go back completely to the way they felt before they became ill.

Anyone can be affected but it’s more common in women and tends to develop between the mid-20s and mid-40s.

There is not a specific test for ME, so it’s diagnosed based on symptoms and by ruling out other conditions.

Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms and includes therapy, energy management and medication.

The cause of ME is not known but it is thought to be triggered by an infection, problems with the immune system or a hormone imbalance.

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