The entrepreneuer Levi Roots, who started out on British reality show Dragon’s Den, is now a millionaire – and says a Hollywood A-lister will be playing him in a movie about his life…
Keith Valentine Graham, better known as Levi Roots, the British-Jamaican reggae musician, television personality, celebrity chef, author and businessman – hit the bigtime on Dragon’s Den in 2007.
It was during the fourth series that year of Dragon’s Den that the father-of-two, 65, pitched a £50,000 investment from the Dragons in return for a 20 per cent equity stake in Reggae Reggae Sauce.
Of course he secured that investment – and his since amassed what is thought to be a £30million fortune from supermarket, TV and book deals – and now, it would seem, a Hollywood movie.
Yes, Levi’s life story will be brought to the big by Nick Moorcroft and Meg Leonard, who wrote heartwarming film Fisherman’s Friends about the Cornish sea shanty singers.
Levi on that life-changing episode of Dragon’s Den
Could Peckham-born star John Bodega bring the story of Levi Roots to life?
Speaking to BBC Radio 2, Levi said the proposed biopic could see both Denzel Washington’s son John as well as John Boyega take on his life story.
‘I would love for somebody who knows the Levi story. Someone like John Boyega, you know from Peckham? He knows my story – he’s lived my life.
‘I’m in Brixton and he’s from Peckham. So, he would know what it is to play Levi and to do that. I’ve been saying, even some of the people in the mix is astonishing.
‘Even Denzel Washington’s son [John] is in the mix of the people. He’s brilliant. He’s in some great things. So you know some really good names, I still can’t believe it.’
In another recent interview, the multi-millionaire opened up about how many obstacles he has overcome, including arriving in Britain unable to read or write – and falling into a life of crime before making a success of himself.
‘I couldn’t even say my own first name when I left Jamaica, so to come to the UK and now run a multimillion pound business is beyond belief.’, he confessed.
Credit: @johnboyega
“No one believed in Reggae Reggae Sauce, I think I was the only one. They thought it sounded too Jamaican, too Rasta.
‘Even before I went on Dragons’ Den, friends told me the name was ‘too Caribbean’, and that I shouldn’t have the Rastafari colours.
‘But I decided it was easier to be me and not pretend to be what I’m not, like a mathematician or someone who can talk perfect Queen’s English.’
For someone whose humble beginnings were helping his grandmother cook in a little village in Clarendon, Jamaica, Levi Roots’ story is quite something. Let’s hope that John Boyega does get on board when it gets the Hollywood treatment…
See https://leviroots.com.
