Deborah Meaden joined the Dragon's Den panel in series 3 and became the show's longest-serving female Dragon.
Meaden entered the BBC programme after building a career in business and investment. She is particularly associated with leisure and hospitality businesses, and her television persona combines direct questioning with a strong focus on whether a company can scale and generate returns.
Her arrival in series 3 was an important change to the panel rather than part of the original line-up. Other female Dragons have appeared over the years, including Kelly Hoppen, Sara Davies and Jenny Campbell, but Meaden has remained a recurring figure across many series.
Viewers sometimes confuse a Dragon's joining series with the year that person first became prominent in business or television. In Meaden's case, the useful programme fact is her series 3 entry. Her investments and negotiations are separate from her role as a panel member, and a pitch shown as agreed on screen still required later due diligence.