Deborah Meaden joined the main Dragon's Den investor panel in 2006 and became one of the show's longest-serving Dragons.
Meaden is an English businesswoman and television personality. Before her television career, she worked in and helped develop businesses in the leisure and hospitality sectors, including her family's holiday-park enterprise. Her experience in consumer businesses became part of her on-screen identity as an investor.
She replaced Rachel Elnaugh on the BBC programme. Meaden became known for direct questioning about sales, margins, valuation and ownership percentages. On Dragon's Den, entrepreneurs normally present their businesses and then negotiate with one or more investors; appearing on the programme does not automatically mean that a deal is completed.
Her long tenure is distinct from the shorter appearances of several later Dragons, including guest and regular investors. Meaden has also appeared on other British television programmes, but Dragon's Den remains the role most closely associated with her public profile.