The original Dragons' Den investor panel consisted of five dragons.
When the BBC launched the British version in 2005, the panel combined experienced entrepreneurs from different sectors. The original group was Simon Woodroffe, Peter Jones, Rachel Elnaugh, Doug Richard and Duncan Bannatyne. Each investor could question contestants and decide whether to offer money in exchange for a share of a business.
The line-up did not remain unchanged. Simon Woodroffe left after the first series, and Rachel Elnaugh departed after the second series. Deborah Meaden joined the programme in the second series, while Theo Paphitis joined in the third. Later series introduced further changes, including James Caan, Hilary Devey, Kelly Hoppen and Touker Suleyman.
The number five refers specifically to the original panel, not every later series. The programme has sometimes used different combinations of investors, including guest dragons and episodes with fewer on-screen investors.