Deborah Meaden joined the British television series Dragons' Den in its third series in 2006.
Meaden is an English businesswoman and investor who became one of the programme's most recognisable Dragons. Before joining the BBC show, she had built experience in leisure, retail and family businesses, including work connected with Weststar Holidays.
She replaced Rachel Elnaugh on the panel and quickly developed a reputation for direct questioning, commercial realism and close attention to sales figures. Her offers have often focused on consumer products, hospitality, retail and businesses with clear routes to market.
Meaden is sometimes described as an original Dragon because she has appeared for most of the programme's history. Strictly speaking, she joined after the first two series; the original 2005 panel did not include her. Her 2006 arrival made her the first major later addition to become a long-term regular.