Deborah Meaden first appeared as an investor on the British TV programme Dragon's Den in 2006.
Meaden joined the BBC series after its first season and became one of its most enduring Dragons. She brought experience from family businesses, leisure companies and investments, and she became especially associated with direct questioning about ownership percentages, profitability and the entrepreneur's plans for growth.
Her arrival is sometimes dated incorrectly because the programme launched in 2005 and the investor panel changed quickly during its early years. Meaden was not part of the first televised panel, and her first appearance should therefore not be confused with the show's premiere year.
Meaden's long television career made her more familiar to many viewers than some of the original Dragons. Nevertheless, the chronological fact remains precise: she entered the British panel in 2006. This is separate from the question of which investor joined in the fifth series, a different historical detail about the programme.