Which investor founded the Bannatyne Group before joining BBC Two's Dragon's Den?

Duncan Bannatyne founded the Bannatyne Group before joining BBC Two's Dragon's Den.

The Bannatyne Group is a British health-club and spa business. Its founder, Duncan Bannatyne, built his broader business career across several sectors before becoming one of the programme's best-known investors. He joined the Dragon's Den panel in the early years of the UK series and became associated with direct, commercially focused questioning of entrepreneurs.

The group is not simply a television brand: Bannatyne's business interests predated his television career. The company expanded beyond gyms into spas and hotels, creating the wider Bannatyne Group name used today. This distinction matters because viewers sometimes assume that a Dragon's own company was created through the programme; in Bannatyne's case, the company was already established.

Duncan Bannatyne has also written books and supported charitable causes. His appearance on the BBC programme formed only one part of his public career, alongside his work as a businessman and philanthropist.