Duncan Bannatyne founded the Bannatyne Group and later became a Dragon on Dragon's Den.
Bannatyne built a business empire that included health clubs, hotels and spas. The Bannatyne Group became particularly associated with health and fitness clubs across the United Kingdom. He joined the original UK Dragon's Den panel when the programme launched in 2005.
His background made him a distinctive investor on the show: unlike a Dragon known mainly for fashion or technology, Bannatyne brought experience from expanding a service-based leisure business. He frequently questioned entrepreneurs about operational costs, customer demand and the practicality of scaling.
Bannatyne left the regular panel in 2014. The Bannatyne Group continued as a separate business brand, so the company name and the television programme should not be treated as the same organisation.