Dragon in tears at his daughter's wedding

The formidable tycoon showed a side that BBC2 viewers never see when he had to dab his eyes as eldest daughter Abigail tied the knot with rugby union player Anthony Elliott.

Multi-millionaire Bannatyne is seen at the swish French chateau ceremony in the new edition of Hello! magazine. Abigail, 26, said: "The first time he saw me in my white wedding dress, there were tears in his eyes."

And self-made Bannatyne, who grew up on a council estate in Clydebank, near Glasgow, confirmed his emotions got the better of him. "I did shed a tear, but it was a very small one. I kept thinking about what she was like when she was a little girl.

"She was strong-willed and determined, just like me. We've always been close," he added.

The dour star, famed for his no-nonsense approach to investment, gave away Abigail at the medieval Chateau De La Napoule in the south of France, close to his villa. The 200 guests at the wedding included Deal Or No Deal host Noel Edmonds and his wife Liz, who have a French home close by and have become friends with Bannatyne and his wife Joanne.

"We often visit each other when we're all down there," the Dragon said.

All Star Family Fortunes host Vernon Kay was also a guest and later DJ-ed at the reception.

Bannatyne had often told Abigail of his concerns about the suitability of previous partners and she feared the worst again when she brought her new husband home for the first time. "I thought it could go hellishly wrong, but Dad loved him. It was the first time he didn't take me to one side to express reservations about a boyfriend," she said.

Abigail, whose 18-month-old daughter Ava was a bridesmaid on the big day, said her father had also shed a tear when she first revealed she was pregnant.

"I was nervous about telling dad as we hadn't been together that long," she said. "But dad shook Anthony's hand. He left the room and when he returned it was obvious he'd been crying because he was so happy."