Norwich entrepreneur wins BBC show with emoji game

David Barrett, who grew up in Norwich and previously worked in Jarrold, won BBC One's The Customer is Always Right with his Totes Emosh card game Picture: David Barrett (Image: Archant)

David Barrett, 36, now lives in Ealing but grew up in Norwich and worked in the menswear department at Jarrold where he became friends with Julius Goldthorpe, 33, and the pair have since launched a number of businesses together.

Their latest venture is a family card game called Totes Emosh where players pick from 48 different face cards and pull that expression, while the others have a numbered key card and need to guess the face they are pulling.

The product was launched last summer and soon after they were contacted by the producers of The Customer is Always Right, where three entrepreneurs get their products tested and rated by the public in each episode.

While Mr Goldthorpe was unable to appear as he lives in Madrid, Mr Barrett represented the pair and the product proved popular with all age groups.

L-R Entrepreneurs and business partners David Barrett and Julius Goldthorpe Credit: David Barrett (Image: Archant)

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Totes Emosh clinched the victory with 38 points out of 50, beating competition from Exosuit, who make specialist sports clothing, by half a point and acne treatment brand Lustre.

The show tests the products on a range of households and afterwards the three entrepreneurs go to the studio in Glasgow, where the production company Firecracker Films is based, and watch the feedback with presenter Lucy Alexander.

The episode aired on Thursday afternoon and during the broadcast Totes Emosh received 160 orders from viewers impressed by the product.

Filming with David Barrett, who created the Totes Emosh card game, for The Customer is Always Right Credit: David Barrett (Image: Archant)

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Mr Barrett said: “It felt really good to win and it was unexpected but it has been hard to keep it under wraps.

“I think what gave me the edge was that it appealed to everyone and they all seemed to get it really quickly.

“I’m now trying to get stocked in a few places and have had interest from Scribbler, but it is quite difficult at the moment as lots of places don’t have people manning the phones as they are shut.”

The game costs £7 and you can buy it at totesemosh.com