When the first episode of season 21 of Dragons Den aired today, viewers were not anticipating a peculiar Absolutely Fabulous crossover.
When a couple stood in front of the fearsome panel and pitched their firm, Pop Specs, there was great uncertainty online.
Where did we hear that before?
Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett, and Sara Davies missed the reference, but eagle-eyed admirers on X, previously Twitter, did.
Back in the 1990s, the authors of the popular comedy Absolutely Fabulous had previously considered this exact business name in the imaginary universe of Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
You might recall a moment in which Edina Monsoon – wonderfully performed by Jennifer – drawls on to her long-suffering (and much more reasonable) daughter Saffie about Pop Specs, a firm she, ahem, represents.
Pop Specs darling #DragonsDen pic.twitter.com/NMkzH7BtFi
— David (@davidac85) January 4, 2024
They are sitting on the kitchen table as Saffie asks, ‘What are Pop Specs?’
‘What are Pop Specs?!” Eddie fires back angrily, before asking: ‘Are you dead? Are you dead? These are them!’ as she holds up some flimsy, ridiculous glasses with colourful lenses that pop up and down, much like flip-up sunglasses (but far less useful).
‘Look darling, these are Pop Specs!’ she explains, gesturing the genius of the lens going in and out, as she explains how she is going to ‘up-market’ them with the help of her partner in crime, Patsy, played by Joanna, with an advert in a magazine.
Fans were quick to reference the iconic scene, as @davidac85 posted a Gif of the moment and quoted, ‘Pop Specs darling,’ Eddie’s catchphrase.
Another X user, @billythebrit, posted a picture of Jennifer as Eddie in the glasses, and wrote: ‘Pop Specs? Why does this ring a bell?’
‘I do hope Edina is getting her cut for them stealing her idea!’ joked @MattBuckeridge, while @andrewmcbchimed in: ‘Edina Monsoon invented & copyrighted Pop Specs.’
‘How original Pop Specs Edina will be fuming,’ said @scouseKate7.
While Absolutely Fabulous’ Pop Specs were a bad idea, these Dragon’s Den aspirants had a fairly amazing concept behind their (very real) firm.
Pop Specs, founded in 2020 by Lina and Dan, strives to deliver fashionable and cheap prescription glasses.
But there’s a catch: they only take 20 minutes to install. This is huge news for everyone who wears glasses.
The pair met at the University of Chester and launched their first kiosk in Manchester’s Trafford Centre before expanding to 10 other sites around the country.
The firm sells a variety of frames, with single vision spectacles starting at £75 and varifocals starting at £195.
Touker, Peter Jones, and Sara Davies all made advances to Daniel and Lina. They agreed to 4% in exchange for a £25,000 investment in the already booming firm.
Source My Celebrity Life.