Duncan Bannatyne was robbed of £8m by gambling addict

A finance director who took almost £8m from TV star Duncan Bannatyne’s gym business has been jailed for four years and eight months.

Gambling addict Christopher Watson, 46, took huge sums from Bannatyne’s Fitness Limited over a period of years to cover his debts with major betting firms, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The married father of three from Darlington admitted one count of fraud, representing him taking £7,974,221 between 2008 and 2014.