Jenna Meek
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jenna Meek | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992 (age 33–34)[1] Bishop Auckland, England |
| Education | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Television | Dragons' Den |
Jenna Meek (born 1992) is an English entrepreneur. She founded The Gypsy Shrine in 2016, which she subsequently renamed to Shrine and sold in 2024, and Refy in 2020, which she cofounded with Jess Hunt. She also appeared as a guest dragon on Dragon's Den in 2026.
Meek was born in Bishop Auckland, England, and attended that town's St John's Catholic School.[2] In summer 2003, she and a friend organised a charity drive for Operation Christmas Child which raised more than 40 shoe boxes full of writing equipment and other gifts.[3] She was inspired to become an entrepreneur by the UK business shows The Apprentice and Dragons' Den[4] and read international fashion marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Aged 19, she interned at Hugo Boss in New York before working for Christopher Raeburn and Emilia Wickstead. A move to Burberry in 2015 extinguished her interest in fashion and she set up a year later Shrine,[5] then known as The Gypsy Shrine.[6] Meek started the firm by individually applying biodegradable glitter paint and jewels to festivalgoers' faces and bodies[5][3] and later hired Sophie Tea to help out.[5]
Meek went viral after taking photos of her friends topless with their chests covered in glitter[7] and appeared on Love Island in 2017 to decorate that year's contestants.[3] Shrine subsequently diversified into an all-in-one face jewels kit sold through listings on the websites PrettyLittleThing and ASOS,[5] as a concessionaire in Topshop,[5] and at its flagship store in Carnaby Street.[7] In the face of competition, and her concern about the environmental impact of the jewels, Meek stopped making them and transitioned to selling temporary hair dyes.[5]
Meek cofounded Refy in 2020 with influencer Jess Hunt after meeting her at a photoshoot. The firm launched in November that year with an eyebrow gel[5] and later launched various lines of makeup, bodycare, fashion, clothing, and skincare.[8] She married her long-term boyfriend in July 2021, appeared in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022,[9] and sold Shrine in 2024.[5] Meek and Hunt appeared on The Sunday Times's 2025 beauty rich list.[10][3] In January 2026, she appeared as the first of four guest dragons on that series of Dragons' Den, where she appeared on episodes one and five.[11] For the former, she replaced fellow St John's alumnus Sara Davies[12] and promoted her appearance on the show by appearing on The One Show.[13]
Filmography
- Love Island (2017, one episode)
- Dragons' Den (2026, at least three episodes)[14]
References
- ↑ Meek, Jenna [@jenna_su]; (6 August 2017). "✨Thank you for all the birthday messages!!! Not happy about turning 25 ..." Retrieved 14 April 2026 – via Instagram. Meek, Jenna [@jenna_su]; (5 August 2018). "Amazing weekend celebrating me turn 26!!!". Retrieved 14 April 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Friends make holiday a charity money-spinner". The Northern Echo. 21 October 2003. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "St John and the dragons: when Jenna Meek first appeared in the Echo". The Northern Echo. 7 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ↑ "The woman who made millions from glitter". ITV. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Prevett, Hannah (19 July 2024). "I learnt how to run my beauty business at car-boot sales". thetimes.com. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ "How To Wear Glitter & Body Jewels At A Hen Do This Summer". Bustle. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- 1 2 London, Lela (29 July 2019). "How to launch a brand by going viral, by the 26-year-old who sparked the 'glitter boob' craze". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ "Who is Jenna Meek? Everything to know about Dragons' Den guest judge". The Independent. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ↑ Fear, Helen (29 January 2026). "The ingenious way Dragons' Den star Jenna Meek got so rich". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ↑ "Refy: Sales spike at influencer Jess Hunt's beauty brand". City AM. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ↑ "Who is Jenna Meek? Everything to know about Dragons' Den guest judge". The Independent. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ "County Durham school celebrates another former student joining Dragons' Den". The Northern Echo. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dragon's Den star finally lets slip his secret "tactic" after 21 years". Digital Spy. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ "BBC One - Dragons' Den, Series 23 - Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 26 February 2026.