Duncan Bannatyne left the British programme in 2014 after becoming a familiar original dragon.
Bannatyne was part of the original investor panel when the British version launched in 2005. He became known for direct questioning of entrepreneurs and for drawing on his experience in business, hospitality and health clubs when assessing proposed deals.
His departure in 2014 marked the end of a long association with the programme. The panel subsequently continued with different investors, illustrating the series' practice of refreshing its cast while preserving the same pitch-and-negotiate structure.
Bannatyne is sometimes confused with Theo Paphitis because both were prominent early dragons and both left before the current era of the show. However, Paphitis departed earlier, while Bannatyne's final year as a dragon was 2014. Peter Jones, another original investor, continued beyond that change.