Who was the first female investor on the British Dragons' Den panel?

Rachel Elnaugh was the first female investor on the British Dragons' Den panel.

Elnaugh appeared in the original line-up when the British programme launched in 2005. Her position made her the first woman to serve as one of the show’s Dragons, alongside Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Simon Woodroffe and Doug Richard.

Her business background came from Red Letter Days, the experience-gift company she founded in 1989. That connection gave the original panel a Dragon with experience in consumer services and experiential retail, rather than only traditional manufacturing or finance.

Deborah Meaden is often given as the answer because she became the programme’s most prominent early female Dragon after joining in series 3. Meaden was not the first, however: Elnaugh preceded her as an original investor. Later female Dragons included Kelly Hoppen, Jenny Campbell and Sara Davies, making the panel more varied over time.