Who was the first female investor to appear as a Dragon on the BBC's Dragon's Den?
Answer
Rachel Elnaugh
Rachel Elnaugh was the first female investor to appear as a Dragon on the BBC's Dragon's Den.
She joined the original UK panel when the programme launched in 2005. Elnaugh was an entrepreneur associated with the Red Letter Days experience-gift company, which sold vouchers for activities and special experiences.
Elnaugh's tenure lasted for the first series. Deborah Meaden later became the programme's best-known long-serving female Dragon, but she was not the first woman to hold the role. That distinction belongs to Elnaugh.
The timing matters because the panel changed after the opening series. Questions about the first female Dragon can therefore be confused with questions about the longest-serving female Dragon or the most recognisable female investor.