Hello - Jacqueline Gold Interview

MULTIMILLIONAIRE BUSINESSWOMAN

JACQUELINE GOLD

WELCOMES US INTO HER LUXURIOUS FAMILY HOME AS SHE CELEBRATES A CAREER HIGH WITH A NEW YEAR’S HONOUR

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Jacqueline, her husband Dan Cunningham and their six-year-old daughter Scarlett welcome us into their luxury mansion in Surrey as they celebrate Jacqueline becoming a CBE in the New Year Honours list

JACQUELINE’S DRESS: MASON FROM OXYGEN BOUTIQUE. CUFF: LARA BOHINC. EARRINGS: RUE GEMBON. SCARLETT’S DRESS: DAVID CHARLES. SHOES: MINI MELISSA. DAN’S BLAZER & SHOES: OLIVER SWEENEY. SHIRT: PAUL SMITH

‘The Queen and I might discuss what it’s like to be a strong woman at the head of a big firm’

(RIGHT) JACQUELINE’S CARDIGAN: LES 100 CIELS. DAN’S JUMPER: JOHN SMEDLEY. SHOES: OLIVER SWEENEY

A wood-burning stove (above and right) adds warmth to the Great Hall – the home’s vast main living area, which is situated in a reclaimed 16th-century barn attached to the original 1920s residence.

The restored timber frames are illuminated by giant crystal chandeliers (below)

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‘The dustotate CBE is absolutely ‘Cus sinctur quidofmxplacc theuiate highlight my career ullaceaqui editusadasd and marks another asdbis nonsequae’ milestone in my life’

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(FAR RIGHT) JACQUELINE’S TOP: BALENCIAGA FROM CRICKET FASHION

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hen Jacqueline Gold curtsies to the Queen this summer to be invested with her CBE, it will be a benchmark on a remarkable journey that has taken her from a traumatic childhood to becoming one of the most successful British businesswomen in history.

Far from her mind will be the controversy that surrounded the announcement of her award in the New Year Honours list. Jacqueline, speaking exclusively to hello! from her multimillion-pound Surrey mansion with her husband Dan Cunningham and their six-year-old daughter Scarlett by her side, is keen to set the record straight after reports that the CBE was only sanctioned this year after an emerging friendship with the Prime Minister.

“I’d be lying if I said recent criticism hasn’t hurt me, but I also understand where it comes from,” says the 55-year-old Ann Summers boss, who reveals that she hasn’t even met David Cameron. “There are people who still have very outdated views in this country and there is some snobbery around that.

And if there is a perception that I’m David Cameron’s best friend, then perhaps there is an agenda to get at him at my expense.

“The truth is it [the CBE] came as a total shock,” she says. “I’d been in London all day and opened some post when I got home. There was

Jacqueline’s framed photo of a previous meeting with the Queen (below left) and the precious letter from the Cabinet Office that proposes her appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (below right). “It came as a total shock,” the businesswoman says

(LEFT) DAN’S BLAZER: DIVERSO. JUMPER: JOHN SMEDLEY. JACQUELINE’S DRESS: VERSUS FROM CRICKET FASHION. EARRINGS: RUE GEMBON

‘Cus dustotate sinctur uiate quid mxplacc ullaceaqui fhyews editusadasd asdm’

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one letter that stood out because it had ‘Cabinet Office’ written on it and was marked ‘strictly personal’. When I started to read it, I was so shocked my vision actually became blurred. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or scream. I ended up doing all three.”

Says Dan, 38, who – along with their daughter – will be joining her at Buckingham Palace: “Jacqueline didn’t actually tell me she had received a CBE until a week or so before the official announcement. She was so nervous about it leaking out that she kept it to herself for weeks. I am very happy for Jacqueline – she really deserves it and I know how much this recognition will mean to her after all the challenges she has faced. I know the day we go to the Palace as a family will be very special.”

“I’ve been awarded a CBE for service to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise,” adds Jacqueline. “It’s absolutely the highlight of my career and marks another milestone in my life.”

While she is a committed supporter of the

(ABOVE) DAN’S JUMPER: JOHN SMEDLEY. SHOES: OLIVER SWEENEY. SCARLETT’S DRESS: MILLY. SHOES: BLOCH

Dan raises a glass to his wife (above) in his basement wine cellar (below). “I have always admired and been incredibly proud of Jacqueline and her business achievements,” says the City trader, who specialises in alternative investments

Conservative party, she is far from being a Cameron crony.

“There is nothing scandalous about my involvement in politics or the honours system,” she says. “I’ve always been interested in politics because I’m a businesswoman, but I had no desire to raise my head above the parapet until last spring. Then I wanted to get involved because I was concerned about Ed Miliband’s anti-business rhetoric. He was creating a divide between the man on the street and business and I didn’t agree with that approach.”

PARTY POLITICS She went on to support the Tories during the election, but insists: “I’ve never met David Cameron. I’m not a donor and I don’t have a role in government. I just happen to be a woman with a voice who employs 10,000 people and thinks this Tory Government is pro-business.

“Have I been put off politics?” she reflects. “I’m not thick skinned but I am resilient and passionate about my country and women in business. If I can continue to contribute something positive I will.”

So what will she say when she meets the Queen? “Well, I’ve actually met her twice before and found her

remarkable. We might discuss what it’s like to be a strong woman at the head of a big firm.”

As the driving force behind the Ann Summers empire, Jacqueline has certainly proved her business acumen, amassing an estimated £180million fortune. Her success is all the more remarkable given her upbringing. The daughter of entrepreneur David Gold, she grew up in wealthy but unhappy circumstances in Kent. Her parents divorced when she was 12 and with her younger sister Vanessa, now Ann Summers’ managing director, she went to live with her mother Beryl and stepfather John.

His appalling abuse of the two vulnerable sisters was detailed in Jacqueline’s 2007 memoir Please Let it Stop.

Determined to overcome her early trauma, Jacqueline entered the family business aged 21 and worked as an Ann Summers office junior, earning just £45 a week. At the time the business was a small and largely unsuccessful chain of adult shops owned by her father.

Jacqueline saw the future of the industry in selling the products directly to women and created the now-famous Ann Summers home party plan. It’s hard to marry her image today – softly spoken, she favours Victoria

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(ABOVE) JACQUELINE’S SHIRT: ELIZABETH & JAMES. TROUSERS: ISABEL MARANT, ALL FROM CRICKET FASHION. EARRINGS: LARA BOHINC

‘Losing a child does make you a very protective parent. When we take Scarlett to London, I don’t let her out of my sight’ Dan

The family pauses for a cup of tea – and a winning pose from Scarlett – in the high-tech open-plan kitchen (above). The wood-framed entrance hall (below)

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Another log burner and a comfy settee in a cosy lounge (above) must surely divert many visitors from exploring the house, while full-length French doors in a sitting room (below) showcase stunning views of the Surrey countryside. Add more sofas and it’s the perfect place for a mother-daughter cuddle (right) Beckham dresses, Jimmy Choo heels and slouchy designer jumpers – to the marketing of her adult merchandise. “I’m sure everyone expects Bet Lynch in fishnets, but that’s not me. However, I am proud of all my products.”

Jacqueline confesses to taking her pink rabbit mobile phone cover, complete with protruding ears – a cheeky reference to the famed Ann Summers Rabbit bedroom aid – into a reception at No. 10. She giggles: “At Downing Street, you have to hand in your phone on arrival and they store it in a cabinet that looks a bit like a wine rack. Mine was the only one with pink ears sticking out. It’s like my calling card.”

These days, Ann Summers is a high-street staple, selling sex toys alongside sumptuous lingerie and swimwear. Later this month, the business will launch a new dating app, while an ITV drama series called Brief Encounters – inspired by the early days of Jacqueline’s career – will also go into production.

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DREAM HOME All the success now affords Jacqueline a life of considerable luxury. The home she shares with Dan and Scarlett features a reclaimed 16th-century barn, which, incredibly, was moved to Surrey from Kent. It’s now attached to a large house dating to the 1920s.

The vast main living area, known as the Great Hall, features an open-plan high-tech kitchen and bar area, with another “everyday” kitchen on the ground floor, together with a study, playroom, sitting room and dining room.

The main residence was originally on two levels, with the bedrooms upstairs, but the family has added a third floor to fit in two guest bedroom suites. Finally, a cellar houses Dan’s impressive wine collection.

No amount of creature comforts, however, can fill the void left by the death of Jacqueline and Dan’s son Alfie – Scarlett’s twin brother – in January 2010.

Diagnosed with a brain abnormality in the womb, he died in his mother’s arms aged eight months at The Children’s Trust in Tadworth, a charitable centre that supports children with complex health needs.

Jacqueline is now vice-president of the trust, a role she is very proud of. Her eyes fill with tears as she reflects on her baby’s death. “It was a very, very, very difficult time because it started when I was 12 weeks pregnant,” she says. “We were told Alfie wouldn’t survive the pregnancy so I was grieving for him while he was in the womb. He did survive, but he was in so much pain when he was born. His cry was one that no mother should have to hear.”

She and Dan cherish Scarlett, although their

(RIGHT) JACQUELINE’S JUMPER: LES 100 CIELS. TROUSERS: ISABEL MARANT FROM CRICKET FASHION. SCARLETT’S JACKET: JUICY COUTURE. SHOES: MINI MELISSA

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‘I’m incredibly affectionate with Scarlett. And I always want her to feel listened to’ Jacqueline

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In Scarlett’s bedroom (right) sits a pirate’s chest (below) that holds mementos of her late brother Alfie. “It contains his hospital wristband, favourite teddy, outfits and other keepsakes,” says Jacqueline

‘I just want to keep Alfie’s memory alive for all of us’ Jacqueline

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‘Jacqueline really deserves her CBE. The day we go to the Palace as a family will be very special’

Jacqueline’s study (above) features a portrait of Scarlett as a baby – and a 3ft crystal-encrusted bunny rabbit, a cheeky nod to the Ann Summers Rabbit range that has helped make her fortune

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grief is never far from the surface. “You never think something like that will happen to you,” says Jacqueline.

“Birthdays and Christmases will always be bittersweet. When Scarlett has her birthday, on 5 May, we will go to Alfie’s grave in the morning and celebrate with Scarlett in the afternoon.”

In Scarlett’s bedroom is a precious pirate’s chest filled with memories of her twin brother. Jacqueline says: “I had two treasure chests made. A princess one for Scarlett and a pirate one for Alfie. It contains his hospital wristband, favourite teddy, outfits and other keepsakes. There is research that shows twins can always feel the presence of one another and sometimes Scarlett says, ‘Mummy, I feel empty,’ so we say a little prayer and light a candle.’ I just want to keep his memory alive for all of us.”

Jacqueline is determined to give her daughter a more loving childhood than her own. “I loved my mum and I know she loved me, but she was incapable of showing me and my sister love, so I’m incredibly affectionate with Scarlett.

I always want her to feel listened to. We want her to appreciate things. I just want her to know that she can grow up to be whoever she wants to be.”

FATEFUL MEETING Jacqueline met Dan, a City trader, through mutual friends in 2000. A downto-earth man who shuns the limelight, he recalls his first impressions of the powerful businesswoman, telling us:

“I thought she would be an imposing person wearing a chunky Rolex, but she was nothing like that and I loved her for it. We slowly got to know one another.”

The couple, who married in 2010, had numerous attempts at IVF before Jacqueline fell pregnant with Alfie and Scarlett. Says Dan: “We went from being over whelmed with joy about the pregnancy to devastated. Losing a child does make you a very protective parent.

When we take Scarlett to London, I don’t let her out of my sight.”

His fears were reinforced in 2011, when Scarlett’s nanny was imprisoned for attempting to poison Jacqueline by pouring screen wash into her soup, in an attempt to frame the family cook, with whom the nanny had fallen out.

“We’ve been through a lot as a family but it’s made us stronger,” says Dan. “Jacqueline is a great mum. The business has been her baby for 35 years, but when she comes home at 5pm she takes that hat off and puts the Mummy one on.

She’s a strong woman. If someone says no, she doesn’t accept that.”

Jacqueline agrees. “When I started out in business, people told me I’d last two years, but I’m still here after 35. I’ve always been a woman on a mission H and I always will be.”

INTERVIEW: SHARON HENDRY PHOTOS: DAVID VENNI STYLING: ALEXANDRIA REID AT FRANK HAIR & MAKE-UP: LISA LAUDAT AT EIGHTEEN USING BEAUTYWORKSONLINE.COM & LA PRAIRIE

ADDITIONAL PHOTO: TONY WARD. (LEFT) JACQUELINE’S EARRINGS: LARA BOHINC. SCARLETT’S SHIRT: ROBERTO CAVALLI

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