Deborah Meaden joined Dragon's Den in 2006 after building the Weststar Holidays business.
Meaden is an English businesswoman and investor who became one of the programme's best-known Dragons. Before television, she worked in and led businesses in the leisure and holiday sectors, including Weststar Holidays.
Her investment style on the show is associated with direct questioning, attention to margins and a focus on whether a business can scale. She has also invested in companies outside the programme, including consumer, leisure and service businesses.
Meaden is sometimes confused with later female Dragons such as Kelly Hoppen, Hilary Devey and Sara Davies. Those investors joined in different periods, whereas Meaden became a Dragon in 2006.