Deborah Meaden first became a Dragon on the UK series Dragons' Den in 2006.
Meaden joined the investor panel after the programme's launch and became one of its most recognisable long-term participants. Her business background includes experience in family businesses, leisure and hospitality, giving her a profile suited to assessing entrepreneurs seeking commercial investment.
The year 2006 is separate from the show's premiere year, 2005. That distinction is important because the original panel changed as the series developed. It is also different from the year Steven Bartlett joined the panel, which was much later.
Meaden's tenure made her one of the central figures associated with the British version. Questions about the show's female Dragons can produce different answers depending on whether they ask about the first woman ever to appear, a regular panellist, or Meaden's own arrival. This question concerns Meaden specifically.