Deborah Meaden joined the British series Dragons' Den as a Dragon in 2006.
Meaden entered the programme during its second series, becoming one of its most recognisable long-term investors. She replaced Rachel Elnaugh on the panel and brought extensive experience from family entertainment, leisure and retail businesses.
Before television, Meaden had built a career in business and had been involved with the family company Weststar Holidays. Her investment style on Dragons' Den is often associated with close attention to ownership, profitability, management capability and whether a product can scale beyond its initial market.
The year is sometimes confused with the programme's launch year. Dragons' Den began in 2005, but Meaden was not part of the original five-person panel. She joined in 2006 and remained a regular Dragon thereafter, making her one of the show's longest-serving investors. Her arrival helped establish the later panel combination remembered by many viewers.