Peter Jones is the original Dragon who has remained on the UK show Dragon’s Den throughout its run.
Jones joined the programme when it began in 2005 and became its longest-serving investor. He is an entrepreneur whose business interests have included technology, telecommunications, media and property. His experience in those fields has shaped the kinds of pitches he evaluates on the programme.
Several other members of the inaugural panel later departed. Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis and Rachel Elnaugh were all important early Dragons, but they did not remain for the entire series. Deborah Meaden left the original panel briefly and later returned, becoming one of the programme’s most recognisable investors.
Peter Jones’s continuous presence is easy to confuse with being the show’s presenter. The presenter introduces the entrepreneurs and manages the pitch, while Jones participates as an investor and negotiates for equity.