Rachel Elnaugh became the first female investor on the British television programme Dragon's Den.
Elnaugh was part of the original investor line-up when the BBC series launched. Her presence made her the programme's first female dragon, before later investors such as Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies joined the panel.
She was known as an entrepreneur and businesswoman, particularly for her work in retail and gift businesses. Her time on the regular panel was comparatively short, which is one reason viewers may incorrectly associate the milestone with Deborah Meaden, the long-serving female investor who joined later.
The distinction is between being the first woman on the panel and being the longest-serving or most recognisable female dragon. Elnaugh's role belongs to the programme's earliest series. The term “dragon” describes an investor on the show and does not mean that every panel member has appeared in every series.