Which entrepreneur was the first woman to join the original Dragon's Den investor panel?

Rachel Elnaugh was the first woman to join the original Dragon's Den investor panel.

Elnaugh, a British businesswoman and entrepreneur, appeared among the original investors when the BBC series began. Her business background included co-founding Red Letter Days, a company selling experience gifts.

Deborah Meaden later became one of the programme's most recognisable investors, but she was not the first woman on the panel. Meaden joined after the original lineup had already been established, which is why the two entrepreneurs are sometimes confused in questions about the show's early history.

Elnaugh's tenure belongs to the programme's initial era. Her appearance helped make the original panel more varied while the series was establishing the investor roles and its now-familiar negotiation format.