Deborah Meaden joined the Dragon's Den panel in 2006 and became known for her earlier involvement with Weststar Holidays.
Meaden developed a business career in leisure and retail before becoming a television investor. Her family had interests in holiday parks, and she became involved with Weststar Holidays, which operated holiday parks in the United Kingdom. This background gave her particular experience in consumer-facing leisure businesses.
She joined the BBC programme after the original launch panel, becoming one of its longest-serving and most recognisable Dragons. Her pitches frequently emphasised customer demand, margins, operational control and the entrepreneur's ability to execute a plan.
Meaden is sometimes incorrectly described as an original Dragon because she appeared early in the show's history. The original panel was different; she joined during the programme's second year of UK broadcasting and remained a central figure in later series.