Simon Woodroffe became the first Dragon's Den panellist to leave the main British series after its launch.
Woodroffe is an entrepreneur best known for founding Yo! Sushi, the conveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain. He appeared as one of the original investors when the British version of Dragon's Den began, bringing experience from hospitality, branding, and consumer businesses.
His time on the panel was brief compared with the long-running appearances of some other original dragons. Woodroffe left after the first series, making him the earliest departure from the initial investor group. The programme subsequently developed a rotating panel, with different entrepreneurs joining and leaving across its many series.
This fact is distinct from identifying the first female dragon or the investors who joined later. It concerns departure from the original British panel. Peter Jones, by contrast, remained associated with the programme across every series, while other original investors stayed for several seasons before departing.