Theo Paphitis joined the British series Dragons' Den in its second series after Simon Woodroffe left the panel.
Paphitis is a retail entrepreneur best known for building businesses associated with stationery, lingerie and high-street retail. His practical questioning and focus on retail operations gave the panel a different perspective from the original line-up, which included Woodroffe, the founder of the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain.
The programme's panel changed frequently during its early years. This can cause confusion because several investors joined or left within a short period, while the show continued to describe all of them as Dragons. Paphitis became a familiar face on the BBC series and later returned for special appearances.
His arrival also reinforced the programme's interest in consumer products and retail brands. Other later investors, including James Caan and Richard Farleigh, are associated with subsequent panel changes, not this specific replacement.