In Dragon's Den, who was the show's first female dragon?

Rachel Elnaugh was Dragon's Den's first female dragon.

Elnaugh joined the original British panel when the programme launched in 2005. She was known for founding Red Letter Days, a company selling experience gifts such as driving days, flying lessons, and other unusual presents.

Her time on the panel was brief compared with some later dragons, but her appearance was historically significant because she was the first woman to occupy one of the programme's investor seats. Deborah Meaden later became the show's best-known long-serving female investor, joining the panel after Elnaugh.

A common mix-up is to identify Meaden as the first female dragon because she became such a prominent and enduring member of the cast. However, the distinction belongs to Elnaugh, who appeared in the first series alongside the original male investors.