A Cumbrian business has proved to be such a success that it is ranked the fifth best idea to ever have been shown on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.

Money.co.uk reveals who are the top seven most successful businesses to come out of the TV show.

The researchers compiled the list to celebrate the 18th series of Dragons’ Den, and at number five is Razzamataz Theatre Schools, which has branches in West Cumbria, Penrith and Carlisle.

Founder of the theatre school Denise Hutton-Gosney pitched her performing arts schools concept to the dragons back in 2007 and secured an investment of £50,000 from Duncan Bannatyne.

With the dragon’s support, the company was able to launch all over the UK and abroad. In 2014, Denise was able to buy back Bannatyne’s stake in the company for £70,000 and now has a 90 per cent ownership.

Denise said: “Dragons’ Den was a huge springboard for Razzamataz and almost overnight gave us more brand exposure than we had ever had.

"Even now, all these years on, new franchisees often tell me they remember watching the show - even though some of them were only children at the time.”

Denise had one of the most memorable pitches ever to appear on the Den. She took four of the students from the schools to show the dragons just what it meant for children to be part of the theatre schools.

Denise added: “Razzamataz is all about teaching performing arts to create confident young people and I realised it was better to show the dragons what this actually looked like rather than explaining it.

"The children were so enthusiastic and full of joy about performing arts that it was hard not to get swept up in their energy.”

After the children left the den, Denise was then grilled by the dragons as to why the school was a good business proposition. After intense questioning, Bannatyne offered the full investment and Razzamataz gained national publicity - putting them on a path to success and a huge array of exciting opportunities.

“The memories of that day stay with me forever because it was a truly unique experience,” added Denise.

She said: “It was absolutely terrifying, especially being grilled on the numbers, but the one thing I knew for certain was that Razzamataz was so well-loved by our customers and the few people that had taken out a franchise with me.

"That gave me all the confidence that I needed to show the dragons what a good investment opportunity we could offer them.”

Since the den, Razzamataz has gone on to be one of the most successful part-time performing arts schools in the UK. There have been lots of high-profile partnerships with brands such as Disney, Warner Bros. Entertainment, First Choice, Universal Pictures, Eurocamp and 20th Century Fox.

Students, staff and principals have gone on to achieve their own unique success such as performances at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End and Disneyland Paris as well as specialist workshops with West End Professionals and stars such as Diversity and Oti Mabuse.

Razzamataz West Cumbria, Carlisle and Penrith offer singing, dance and drama classes for children from the ages of 2 to 18.

Students study everything from traditional West End and Broadway musical theatre through to street dance, pop singing and acting for camera. They also enjoy a unique experience of special guest workshops led by experienced professionals from stage and screen, which in the past have included street dancers Diversity and musical theatre star Kerry Ellis.

The schools in West Cumbria, Carlisle and Penrith are preparing for their face-to-face reopening this month.