Deborah Meaden first appeared as a dragon in series 3 of the BBC's UK Dragon's Den.
Meaden is an English businesswoman who became one of the programme's longest-serving and most recognisable investors. She joined the panel after the first two series, bringing experience from family businesses, leisure companies and consumer brands.
Her arrival is sometimes mistaken for the programme's launch because she became so strongly associated with its mature format. However, the first series aired in 2005 with an original panel that included Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Simon Woodroffe and Doug Richard. Meaden entered the show later, in series 3.
Her television role has involved assessing entrepreneurs' financial claims, negotiating equity and deciding whether a business fits her investment interests. The series number is the key distinction here: it identifies her debut on the British programme, rather than the year she began her wider business career.