Deborah Meaden joined the Dragon's Den panel in 2006 and is known for investments in property and retail.
Meaden is a British businesswoman whose career includes work in leisure, retail, and property-related businesses. Her direct, commercially focused questioning became a defining feature of the programme after she joined the BBC investor line-up.
She became one of the show's longest-serving and most recognisable dragons. In the den, she has assessed businesses by examining their sales, margins, valuation, management, and potential for growth. Her profile also helped make the distinction between a television investor and a celebrity guest especially clear: she was an established entrepreneur before becoming a television personality.
The date matters because Rachel Elnaugh was part of the original 2005 panel, while Meaden arrived afterward. Hilary Devey and Sara Davies are also female investors, but they joined in later periods. For the 2006 addition to the panel, the specific answer is Deborah Meaden.