In BBC Dragons' Den, who hosted the programme when it first premiered in 2005?

Adrian Chiles hosted BBC Dragons' Den when the programme first premiered in 2005.

The BBC launched the British version on 4 January 2005, adapting the Japanese business format Money Tigers. Chiles was the presenter who guided entrepreneurs into the pitch room and introduced the Dragons to each proposal.

He was later replaced as presenter by Evan Davis, who became strongly associated with the programme. This change sometimes causes viewers to remember Davis as the original host, but Chiles presented the opening series.

The presenter is separate from the investors. The Dragons sit behind the negotiation table, while the host manages the introductions, explains the requested investment and closes each pitch. That distinction helps separate Chiles's role from the better-known investor roles in the show's early years.