Theo Paphitis joined Dragon's Den in its second series after the original panel appeared in series one.
The programme's original Dragons were Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Simon Woodroffe and Doug Richard. Paphitis joined the second series, adding his experience from retail and consumer businesses to the panel. He became especially associated with direct questioning about sales, margins and the practical operation of a company.
Paphitis is best known as a retail entrepreneur. He built business interests connected with brands including Ryman and Robert Dyas, and his commercial background shaped the way he assessed pitches in the Den.
The timing is easy to confuse because the programme changed its panel repeatedly. Deborah Meaden joined later, in the third series, while James Caan arrived later still. Identifying the series rather than simply naming a prominent Dragon is therefore important when tracing the show's early cast.