Which businesswoman joined the British Dragon's Den panel in its third series?

Deborah Meaden joined the British Dragon's Den panel in its third series.

Meaden is an English businesswoman and investor who became one of the programme's most recognisable dragons. She entered the show after its original series and developed a reputation for direct questions about margins, pricing, ownership percentages and the ability of a business to grow.

Her arrival should not be confused with Rachel Elnaugh's place in the inaugural panel. Elnaugh was the first female original dragon, whereas Meaden was a later addition who became a long-running member of the cast. That difference explains why both names frequently appear in accounts of the show's early history.

Meaden's business career included involvement in family leisure and holiday enterprises before her television work. On Dragon's Den, she generally evaluates the commercial opportunity as well as the entrepreneur's understanding of the numbers, which has made her investment decisions a recurring focus of the series.