Which investor replaced Rachel Elnaugh on the UK Dragon's Den panel in 2006?

Deborah Meaden replaced Rachel Elnaugh on the UK Dragon's Den panel in 2006.

Elnaugh was one of the original Dragons when the British programme launched in 2005. After her departure, Meaden joined the panel and quickly became a long-term fixture. This makes Meaden's arrival both a panel-change fact and an early milestone in the show's history.

The two women are sometimes confused because both were prominent female investors on the programme. They did not occupy the panel simultaneously in the original transition: Meaden succeeded Elnaugh as the series refreshed its investor lineup.

Meaden's business career includes work in leisure, retail and hospitality. On Dragon's Den, she became known for scrutinising business fundamentals, including how much money a company needed, what ownership percentage was being offered and whether the proposed valuation was realistic.