Five original investors appeared on the first series of the British programme Dragon's Den.
The launch panel consisted of Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Theo Paphitis and Doug Richard. Together, they formed the original group of businesspeople entrepreneurs had to persuade to invest in their companies.
The number matters because the lineup changed after the programme began. Rachel Elnaugh left after the first series, and later seasons introduced other investors, including Deborah Meaden. As the panel evolved, not every Dragon appeared in every episode, so the original panel size is different from the number visible in an individual pitch.
The programme's title uses the plural “Dragons” because the format is built around a panel rather than one investor. The original five-person lineup set the template for later UK series.