Five Dragons traditionally sit on the main Dragon’s Den investment panel.
The programme’s central visual and dramatic setup is a group of five investors seated together while an entrepreneur presents a business proposal. Each Dragon may question the pitcher about sales, profit, valuation, intellectual property and the amount of equity being offered.
The panel is not permanently identical across the entire run. Investors have joined, departed and returned, and some episodes have featured guest or replacement Dragons. Even so, five is the established traditional panel size associated with the British format.
The number can be confused with other national editions or special episodes, where panel arrangements may differ. It also does not mean that every Dragon must invest together: one Dragon, several Dragons or none may make an offer.