Deborah Meaden first appeared as a Dragon on the BBC series Dragons’ Den in 2006.
Meaden is a British businesswoman and investor who became one of the programme’s longest-serving and most recognisable panel members. Before joining the show, she built experience in leisure, retail and hospitality, including work connected with family businesses and holiday parks.
Her first series placed her among the investors who evaluated entrepreneurs’ businesses in exchange for equity. She became particularly associated with direct questioning about valuation, profitability, ownership percentages and the practical terms of a deal.
The year 2006 refers to Meaden’s debut as a Dragon, not to the launch of the UK programme. Dragons’ Den first broadcast in the United Kingdom earlier, in 2005. Meaden also appears in other television and business contexts, but those later roles should not be used to date her first appearance on the BBC investment show.