Deborah Meaden first joined the UK series Dragons' Den in 2006.
Meaden entered the programme after its launch year and quickly became one of its most recognisable investors. She is a businesswoman whose background includes ownership and management roles in leisure and hospitality businesses, including family holiday parks.
A common mix-up is to place her in the original 2005 panel. The programme began in 2005, but Meaden joined during the following year. Her direct questioning style and willingness to make deals helped establish her as a central figure in the series.
Meaden has also appeared in other television programmes and public business roles, but Dragons' Den remains her best-known television association. Her arrival helped give the show a prominent female investor after Rachel Elnaugh’s early appearance.