Deborah Meaden first appeared as a Dragon on the British television series Dragon's Den in 2006.
Meaden is an English businesswoman and investor who joined the programme after its launch in 2005. She became one of its most recognisable Dragons, combining a direct questioning style with experience in leisure, retail and consumer businesses.
Her arrival is distinct from the show's original 2005 panel. This distinction matters because the first series featured the initial group of investors, while later series introduced additional Dragons as the programme expanded and its panel changed.
Meaden's business background included work in the leisure industry, and she later became associated with investments made through the programme. The year 2006 refers to her first appearance as a Dragon on the British series, not the year she began her wider business career or the date of any particular investment.