A mum-of-two says her “heart was in her throat” as she stood in TV’s daunting Dragons’ Den, asking for money to boost her children’s books business.

Diane White, 36, wanted cash to help her re-launch the Yum Yums books, following Barry Banana and Trisha Tomato and their fruity friends on their adventures in the Five-a-day World.

The books, written by Mrs White under the pseudonym Jess Porter, are designed to encourage children to eat healthily.

Mrs White, who is managing director of Di-Med Publishing, said business was booming after securing sales in Borders book shops before the chain went into liquidation at the end of 2009.

She said: “It was all going really, really well and then Borders book shop went into liquidation. This is why we’re now looking at doing a re-launch.

“It was one of the biggest book shops to get into and we thought we’d made it. We’d put all our eggs in one basket, we did a national tour with them and got merchandise.

“It came to an end so suddenly without warning. They were selling really well there.”

She said she was thrilled to have secured a spot on the Dragons’ Den show, as one of only about 100 entrepreneurs to be selected from 8,000 applicants.

She was asking for £100,000 in return for a 20 per cent stake in her business.

“We’ve put everything into getting on to the show,” said the Brighouse mum. “People will be able to see a bit more of what we are trying to achieve. It was very surreal, I watch the show religiously.

“We were treated like mini celebrities, it was like a whirlwind.

“I managed to put my pitch together and got all my words in but my heart was coming up into my throat, having them staring at you is so daunting and having to remember your pitch at the same time.”

  • The Telegraph & Argus is unable to reveal whether Mrs White was successful in her bid for the dragons’ cash. She will appear on Dragons’ Den, on BBC2 on Monday, August 30 at 9pm.