He recently hit out at mega-rich stars including Victoria Beckham and Sir Richard Branson for seeking millions of pounds from the taxpayer to bail out their failing companies.
But Duncan Bannatyne put the drama aside to praise NHS staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as he announced the birth of his granddaughter.
The entrepreneur, 71, took to Twitter on Sunday to pass on the heartwarming message to his 749,000 followers.
Happy news: Duncan Bannatyne, 71, (pictured alongside third wife Nigora Whitehorn), has praised NHS staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as he announced the birth of his granddaughter on Sunday
He wrote: ‘Thank you NHS & Everyone at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. My daughter arrived at your doors late yesterday afternoon and very soon after had a beautiful baby daughter.
‘Thank you for working and being wonderful [red heart emojis].’
Duncan is already a father-of-six and has three grandchildren.
The former Dragon shares four daughters, Hollie, Abigail, Jennifer and Eve, with his first wife Gail and another two children, Emily and Thomas, with second wife Joanna.
He married third wife Nigora Whitehorn, who is 31 years his junior, in Portugal in 2017.
Proud: The entrepreneur took to Twitter on Sunday to pass on the heartwarming message to his 749,000 followers
Duncan’s announcement comes after he joined the likes of Simon Cowell in criticising celebs including Victoria Beckham and Sir Richard Branson for seeking millions of pounds from the taxpayer to bail out their failing companies.
Branson has asked for a taxpayer bailout to save Virgin Atlantic from collapse while Victoria Beckham told 30 employees at her fashion brand they are being put on the Government job retention scheme to pay up to £2,500 of their monthly salary.
In a furious Twitter row, Bannatyne – who has a net worth of £300million – said the billionaire Virgin Group boss should instead go to a bank for help.
And he also hit out at Branson’s offer to mortgage Necker Island, his home in the Caribbean, as collateral to help get cash to ‘save as many jobs as possible.’
In an open letter to staff Branson, who is worth £4.05billion, said he was not asking for a handout, but a commercial loan, believed to be £500m, after Virgin Australia went into administration.
It has been revealed that Simon Cowell has continued to pay his staff rather than rely on the taxpayer to pick up his worker’s wages.
Not happy: Duncan’s announcement comes after he criticised Richard Branson for seeking millions of pounds from the taxpayer to bail out his failing companies
Contrast: Simon Cowell (left) has revealed he will continue to pay his staff rather than rely on the taxpayer. Victoria Beckham (right) told 30 employees at her fashion brand they are being put on the Government job retention scheme to pay up to £2,500 of their monthly salary
The TV tycoon has agreed to keep paying the 50 full time staff who work for his Syco production company in London and Los Angeles.
He has also donated £1.6m from his personal fortune to charities in desperate need of cash. Cowell is worth an estimated £385million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
Cowell, 60, has assured his staff they will not be placed on the furlough scheme even though the coronavirus crisis has shut down TV production of his shows in the UK and America.
He has now urged other celebrities and business leaders to ‘rise to the challenge’ of Covid-19.
Branson was slammed for appealing for taxpayer aid to help stricken Virgin Atlantic, rather than using his £4billion fortune.
Compromised: Sir Richard Branson has offered to remortgage his Necker Island home as collateral after asking the government for a £500m loan
Scottish entrepreneur Bannatyne, who said he had supported his leisure business during the pandemic with increased bank loans, said in a tweet to a follower: ‘Do you think the island is worth 500m?’
He continued: ‘I have gone to the bank NOT the UK tax payer. The bank. A viable business will get the money from a bank.
‘I never slated him (Sir Richard) I said he should go to the bank for a loan not the hard working UK taxpayers that you show so little respect for.’
In another tweet he added: ‘But tell me, why can’t he borrow the money from a bank?
‘In every company in the world the staff pay their taxes. So you are saying government should financially support every company that is in trouble?’