Five investors appeared on the original panel of the British series Dragons' Den.
The first UK panel consisted of Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis and Doug Richard. Together, they formed the group of businesspeople who questioned entrepreneurs when the programme launched on BBC Two in 2005.
The panel structure is central to the show’s format. A contestant normally enters alone or with co-founders, explains the requested investment and offers a percentage of the company. The investors can respond individually, combine offers or decline to invest. Their different backgrounds also mean that a pitch may be judged on more than one measure, including retail potential, financial performance and the founder’s ability to execute.
Later series changed the lineup, so the number of familiar dragons seen by viewers has varied over time. That can cause confusion when people remember a later panel. The answer refers specifically to the original panel at the beginning of the British version.