Deborah Meaden first joined Dragon's Den as a regular investor in 2006.
Meaden joined the panel in the programme's third series. She had already built a substantial business career, including work in leisure and retail, and was known for her involvement with Weststar Holidays before becoming a prominent television investor.
Her arrival followed the first two series of the British show and helped establish the more familiar panel era that many viewers associate with Dragon's Den. Meaden became one of the programme's longest-serving dragons and remained closely identified with the format.
The year 2006 is sometimes confused with 2005, the year the British series premiered. It is also important to distinguish joining the show from the year Meaden became involved in particular investments: those deals were made across many later series and do not all date from her debut.