Five Dragons sat on the original investor panel when the UK television show Dragon's Den launched in 2005.
The first British panel consisted of Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Doug Richard and Simon Woodroffe. Together they established the show's original investor format, in which entrepreneurs faced a group rather than a single backer.
The number is five, although later series used different line-ups and occasional guest Dragons. Because the panel changes over time, viewers may remember a larger or smaller group from another era of the programme. The original count refers specifically to the launch panel.
The Dragons can make separate offers, combine their money or decline to invest. Having several investors also allows them to challenge an entrepreneur's valuation from different commercial perspectives. A pitch may therefore produce multiple offers, a joint offer or no offer at all.