Gripping and thriller two-part BBC 2 documentary on lingerie queen Baroness Michelle Mone

Mone was a flag bearer for British entrepreneurism, with her rags-to-riches journey from Glasgow’s disadvantaged East End to becoming a member of the House of Lords.

Her successes were overshadowed by controversies concerning the awarding of lucrative PPE contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I was gripped by what was ultimately style over substance – three words one of the interviewees used to describe Mone.

Other three words volunteered to describe the woman who pioneered the gel-filled bra cup included: “shameless, self-promoting grifter”.

Her first husband Michael called her “stark raving mad”. BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg went for something far less damning: “Impossible to ignore.”

The claws were out in the catty two-parter which appealed to the mean streak in mean-minded viewers, like me, who revel in the fall of the mighty.

There seems to be something in the British psyche that builds people to a pinnacle of success and then enjoys seeing them topple – similar to those celebrating Lorraine Kelly’s downfall as ‘queen’ of daytime TV.

The first hour of the profile looked at Mone’s early life, her breakthrough into the business world and how she established herself as a celebrity entrepreneur.

The second hour chartered her downfall from being made a Baroness to the scandal surrounding her and her second husband Doug Barrowman’s business dealings surrounding the supply of PPE during the Covid crisis.

Let’s be clear – there is no suggestion that Mone or her husband have done anything illegal. Unpalatable, may be, immoral, possibly, but not against the law.

That did not diminish the loud crash as the bottom fell out of her world and the gloss was knocked off her image.

The two hours were a cocktail of fame, lies, money, politics and a national emergency – a rags-to-riches fairy tale, a high-risk thriller and a soap opera – whiffs of infidelity, rocky relationships and back-stabbing – full of celebrity guest appearances.

Mone grew up in the East End of Glasgow, she blagged her way into a sales pitch with the head of lingerie buying for Selfridges, got the account and the rest is history.

She led Ultimo to global recognition – though there were conflicting views of how successful and lucrative the business really was.

Mone came across as ambitious, streetwise, determined and driven – she wanted to be rich and enjoyed the lifestyle money can buy.

She lied to get publicity, claiming Julia Roberts wore one of her bras in the film Erin Brockovich. She did not.

She was also ruthless – ditching Rod Stewart’s now wife model Penny Lancaster for his ex-wife Rachel Hunter to front an advertisement campaign because Hunter was “Ronaldo to Lancaster’s Falkirk footballer”. That led to Stewart to label her ‘devious and conniving’.

She could give has good has she got – her put down of one-time The Apprentice winner and big mouth Katie Hopkins was a highlight.

The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone is on BBC iPlayer.