Inside Levi Roots’ secret family feud after CBB star with £30m empire ‘leaves homeless daughter to struggle’
CHEF Levi Roots has been thrust back into the spotlight after signing up for Celebrity Big Brother - amid a secret family feud that has rumbled on for years.
The Dragons' Den star became a household name when he shared his special sauce with the nation back in 2007.
Five years later he had made millions through selling bottles of his Reggae Reggae sauce splashed with his friendly face in supermarkets across the country.
But behind the scenes the sauce legend had been battling with family members who spoke out against him in the press.
In 2014, allegations surfaced that the star - real name Keith Valentine Graham - hadn't been a great dad.
Two of his daughters claimed he had failed to provide child support, leaving at least four of his children struggling on benefits.
READ MORE ON LEVI ROOTS
One daughter said she even found herself homeless after he reportedly refused to offer financial help.
Joanne Caesar and Sharlene Williams made various accusations with one claiming she helped him develop his famous sauce, and also sang backing vocals on the advert that helped launch it to stardom.
Another said that he exploited her by making her work at his shop without pay and refusing to hire her as an employee.
Both sisters slammed their father's parenting, describing him as financially tight-fisted.
They took another bitter swipe at the TV legend and his success, claiming his largest purchase was a £300 sofa.
Sharlene told Daily Mail in 2014: "It was always his way or the highway. I managed the shop, but he didn’t want to pay me.
"He refused to pay me and my brother a wage.
"I was forced to claim benefits to make ends meet. Without my benefits I would have been homeless a very long time ago."
Joanne added back then: "He and Tony came up with the idea of making a sauce but my dad took the recipe home to see what he could do with it.
"Me and my sister Sharlene made the sauce in his kitchen, so we knew the secret. He used to send us to Lidl to pick up the ingredients.
"We worked on the sauce in his kitchen, experimenting with the ingredients until he perfected it.
"He already had a deal with a bottling factory and found someone to make the logo."
ITV has refused to comment.
Joanne claimed as soon as Keith got the Dragon's Den investment he no longer needed their help.
She said: "After Dragons’ Den, we stopped hearing from him. He let the money and the fame and fortune get to him and his ego got the better of him.
Celebrity Big Brother line-up
So who are the 12 stars expected to appear in the Celebrity Big Brother house? The Sun's Jamie Downham takes a look...
Louis Walsh - Irish boyband manager who has never knowingly backed down from a fight. Sure to be a huge presence in the house.
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu - We know from Love Island, the Ek-ster is not above throwing about some dramatics to claw her way to the final.
Levi Roots - Reggae Reggae Sauce sauce packs a bit of a kick, but its inventor seems quite mild-mannered. Will that change under pressure?
Fern Britton - The former This Morning star called out Phillip Schofield - don't think she won't do the same to anyone who tangles with her.
Colson Smith - You'll probably know him best as Corrie's Craig Tinker - but prepare to find out he's not much like his character.
David Potts - Ibiza Weekender's breakout star is sure to bring a bit of the party isle to the house... but will people appreciate it?
Gary Goldsmith - Kate Middleton's uncle is a big signing for ITV, but very much an unknown quantity among viewers.
Marisha Wallace - Top Broadway star may fill the brief of 'American who doesn't know what they've let themselves in for'.
Nikita Kuzmin - The Strictly pro is coming onto the show fresh off the show's tour. Poor lad probably just wants a rest.
Zeze Mills - the social media star has a "no holds barred interview style" - which is just what we need in there.
Bradley Riches - The actor played sweet James McEwan in Netflix hit Heartstopper. We'll soon find out what he's really like.
Lauren Simon - She's a Real Housewives of Cheshire star and you don't get on that show by being shy and retiring.
"He cut all of his children off because he said that we were all after his money."
Keith was born in Jamaica and raised by his grandmother while his parents worked in the UK to bring him over.
Getting a £50,000 investment from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh changed his life forever, as Levi Roots became one of the biggest success stories ever from the BBC show.
The sauce is now stocked by most major retailers and the brand now sells many other products.
Reggae Reggae sauce was even outselling Heinz tomato ketchup in Sainsbury’s at one point. “That’s when I knew I’d made it,” Levi said.
In 2010, Levi opened his first restaurant in London but it closed in 2012.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
He then opened his first franchise restaurant in December 2015 at Westfield Stratford City but it closed in 2019.
Nowadays, the 65-year-old is a regular on cooking TV shows, including BBC's Ready Steady Cook.