Peter Jones is the only original Dragons' Den investor still serving on the regular UK panel.
The first UK series featured Peter Jones alongside Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Doug Richard and Simon Woodroffe. Those original investors represented different areas of business, including property, retail, technology and consumer products.
Jones is a British entrepreneur whose businesses and investments have included telecommunications, technology, retail and leisure. His tall stature and interest in scalable consumer businesses made him one of the most recognisable Dragons from the beginning.
Other long-serving investors have joined the programme over time, including Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis, but they were not part of the original five-person line-up. Panel membership can vary by series, so “original Dragon” specifically refers to the investors present in the UK launch series rather than the first investor a viewer remembers.