Deborah Meaden first joined the BBC show Dragons' Den as a Dragon in 2006.
She joined the investment panel in the second series, replacing Rachel Elnaugh. Meaden brought substantial experience in leisure, retail, and property businesses, and quickly became one of the programme's most recognisable investors.
Before television, Meaden had built a career in business. She became associated with Weststar Holidays, a family holiday business, and later sold her interest to Alchemy Partners. Her background helped establish her on-screen reputation for asking direct questions about sales, margins, ownership, and growth.
The year 2006 is sometimes confused with the programme's launch year, 2005. Meaden was not one of the original Dragons in the first British series; she joined for the second series and remained a prominent investor in later seasons.