Dragon Jones replaces Gordon Ramsay in BT ads

BT has signed Dragons' Den star Peter Jones to replace Gordon Ramsay as the new face of its TV campaign promoting its business telecoms services.

The new BT Business campaign, which has featured Gordon Ramsay trying to get his IT under control while his kitchen descends into fiery mayhem, will launch on May 5.

The multi-million pound campaign will be fronted by entrepreneur Peter but will also feature "some surprising Hollywood guest stars".

The campaign aims to highlight how the UK's 4.3m small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from using BT's range of mobile, telephony, broadband and IT products.

"He embodies the entrepreneurial spirit which characterises many small businesses," said Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business, adding that small businesses "are the lifeblood of the UK economy".

The signing of Peter Jones was announced today at the three-day BT Business Experience exhibition targeting entrepreneurs and small business owners.

BT Business is also launching for the third time the Essence of the Entrepreneur competition.

The competition is seeking the top 20 technology entrepreneurs in the UK.

All 20 winners will be photographed by fashion photographer Rankin for a London exhibition with prizes for best male, best female, best young entrepreneur and most original business concept.

Peter's Dragons' Den co-star Duncan Bannatyne recently appeared as part of a Blackberry ad campaign.