Tej Lalvani joined Dragons’ Den in 2017 as an investor associated with the consumer-goods company Vitabiotics.
Lalvani is the son of Kartar Lalvani, who founded Vitabiotics in 1971. The company is known for nutritional supplements and vitamins, including brands such as Wellman, Wellwoman and Pregnacare. Tej Lalvani became chief executive of the business before joining the BBC programme.
His role on Dragons’ Den gave the panel a specialist in branded consumer products, distribution and family-business management. Those subjects differ from the technology, property and retail expertise represented by several other Dragons.
The wording concerns Lalvani’s business background rather than a formal rule about the programme’s casting. He was not the first Dragon with family-business experience, and he should not be confused with Touker Suleyman, who joined the panel in 2015. Lalvani’s first series was broadcast during the show’s eleventh year on BBC Two.