Deborah Meaden became the first female Dragon to join the BBC's Dragon's Den panel after the original series.
Meaden joined the programme in its third series, replacing Rachel Elnaugh as the principal female investor on the panel. She had already built a business career in leisure and retail, including ownership and management experience in holiday parks and other consumer businesses.
Rachel Elnaugh was also an original female Dragon, so descriptions of Meaden as the show's first woman can be misleading if they omit the phrase “after the original series.” Meaden's distinction is her arrival as the first female investor added after the initial panel.
She became one of the programme's most enduring Dragons, known for investments in consumer products, food, hospitality and services. Her television career also included appearances on other business and reality programmes.