Deborah Meaden joined the regular Dragon's Den panel in 2006 after building businesses in leisure and tourism.
Meaden became a prominent British entrepreneur through investments and leadership in family entertainment, holiday parks and leisure businesses. She joined the BBC programme for its third series and became one of its most recognisable long-term investors.
Red Letter Days is associated with Rachel Elnaugh, not Meaden. Elnaugh was an original Dragon and co-founded that experience-gift company. Meaden's own business history is instead connected with Weststar Holidays and other leisure enterprises, followed by a wide range of private investments.
Her appearances helped establish the familiar modern panel dynamic, in which entrepreneurs receive competing offers and must decide whether to trade a share of their company for capital and expertise. Meaden has also become known for backing consumer, retail and hospitality businesses.