A DRAGONS' Den star slammed by viewers has been reported to a watchdog over "unproven" claims around her ear seeds.
Giselle Boxer, 31, made history on the BBC show in recent days after landing an astonishing six offers from the Dragons - but show fans weren't as impressed.
She was quickly slammed over what's been dubbed a controversial pitch after saying ear seeds helped treat her horror disease.
Now the business is said to have been reported to the Advertising Standards Authority over what are said to be "unproven" claims.
Doctors and "vulnerable sick people" alike have written letters and complaints, saying the product is giving patients "false hope".
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Boxer proudly pitched her business Acu Seed - which sells a version of what she says helped her overcome a debilitating disease.
The mum says she was just 26 when she was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) - also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - which left her gravely ill.
However, Boxer told the Dragons that with the help of diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and ear seeds her symptoms were eased.
Ear seeds are tiny needle-less beads, based on acupuncture principles, which are applied to the ear to stimulate nerve endings.
Boxer said her recovery inspired her to set up Acu Seeds with the aim of helping others recover from similar conditions - including anxiety and migraines.
The mum was overwhelmed by offers from the Dragons, and ended up settling with entrepreneur Steven Bartlett.
He invested £50,000 into her business for a 12.5% return.
But the ME association has Acu Seeds to the Advertising Standards Agency and written to the BBC and chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, and chairman of the health and social care committee.
Dr Charles Shepard, Hon Medical Advisor for The ME Association, also said: "The way in which Dragons' Den has been used to promote an unproven treatment for ME/CFS has, not surprisingly, caused a great deal of upset and concern in the ME patient community.
"People with ME/CFS are fed up with the way in which products like this are regularly being promoted when there is no sound evidence from proper placebo-controlled clinical trials to confirm that they are safe and effective."
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Other doctors have slammed the business, too.
Dr. Edzard Ernst, an MD and PhD who specialising in research around alternative medicines, said there is "no sound evidence that these acupressure devices are effective for ME or other conditions".
He told MailOnline: "To give severely suffering patients false hope is unethical; to take money from it is despicable, in my view."
In response, BBC said: "Dragons' Den features products from entrepreneurs and is not an endorsement of them.
I have always said that ME is a complex condition and that combination healing approaches is what I believe supported my recovery.
Giselle Boxer
"Dragons' Den shows real businesses pitching to investors to lift the lid on what happens in the business world.
"This episode features an entrepreneur sharing their own, personal experience that led to a business creation."
Boxer and Bartlett have been approached for comment.
In recent days, people took to social media to blast the pitch business they called "exploitive".
One person wrote on Instagram: "This is so disappointing. What flagrant exploitation of ill people who are in search of a real cure."
Another said on X: "I'm raging. I think the show should be taken off air.
"Imagine if this was hailed as a cure for cancer? Or MS ? Or Alzheimer’s, or, you name it."
One other person said: "I’ve now had two people get in touch to recommend AcuSeeds based on Dragons' Den.
"They mean well, but it makes me furious at the show. The reach they’ve given her has been huge and it’s to the detriment of ME/CFS awareness.
"Imagine what could have been done with that platform?"
Boxer quickly hit back, saying she never claimed the ear seeds healed her.
She wrote on social media: "I have never said that ear seeds are a cure for ME I have always said that ME is a complex condition and that combination healing approaches is what I believe supported my recovery.
"I will not be told that I never had the condition. I was diagnosed by multiple ME specialists in the U.K.
"I was very unwell for five years. I finally got my life back in 2020."
Boxer said she had been dealt a "barrage of abuse", and asked people to stop "taking anger out" on her.
The Acu Seeds website also states that it does not guarantee curing conditions and that the product is for educational purposes.
In the FAQ section, it says: "We can not and do not make claims to individual results if you experiment with auriculotherapy with ear seeds.
"Historically and in studies, with proper placement, ear seeds have been shown to work immediately for certain conditions, and take longer – up to a few weeks with multiple sessions – with others.
"Ear seeding is a holistic treatment that can support healing but they are not a magic pill."
