Which businessperson was the first female Dragon to appear on the BBC show Dragon's Den?

Rachel Elnaugh was the first female Dragon to appear on the BBC show Dragon's Den.

Elnaugh joined the original investor panel when the British series began in 2005. She was known for founding Red Letter Days, a company that sold experience gifts such as adventure and leisure activities.

Her presence was significant because she was the first woman to occupy an investor seat in the British version. Deborah Meaden later became one of the programme's best-known long-term Dragons, but she was not the first female investor on the show.

Elnaugh's time on the panel was comparatively brief. Red Letter Days had entered administration before being sold to Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, a business episode often mentioned alongside her Dragon's Den career. That history is why names and investment roles connected with the company can be mixed up.