Which entrepreneur became a dragon on the British series Dragons' Den in 2006?

Deborah Meaden became a dragon on the British series Dragons' Den in 2006.

Meaden joined the panel during the programme’s early development and became one of its most recognisable investors. She is a businesswoman with experience in leisure, retail and family businesses, and her on-screen approach is often associated with direct questioning and close attention to the numbers behind a proposal.

Her arrival is sometimes confused with later female investors who also joined the programme. Sara Davies, Jenny Campbell and Kelly Hoppen are all associated with Dragons' Den, but they entered the panel at different times. The 2006 date identifies Meaden’s early place in the main British series.

Meaden’s role also illustrates how the programme presents investors as both personalities and sources of capital. A pitch can succeed because an investor understands the market, contributes contacts or offers practical expertise, not merely because that investor supplies cash.