Duncan Bannatyne was the former rugby player who became an original investor on the British television show Dragon's Den.
Bannatyne is a Scottish entrepreneur, author and philanthropist. Before becoming widely recognised as a television investor, he built businesses in sectors including care homes and health clubs. He had also played rugby, a biographical detail that distinguishes him from several other early dragons.
He joined Dragon's Den at the programme’s launch and became one of its most recognisable original investors. In the den, he was known for scrutinising business fundamentals, including the entrepreneur’s requested valuation, projected sales and proposed equity.
The word “original” refers to the first cast rather than the entire group of investors who have appeared across the programme’s history. Dragon's Den has had many rotating investors, so a person can be strongly associated with the show without having been present in its first series. Bannatyne later left the regular panel after a substantial run.