Who was the first female permanent dragon on the UK series Dragons' Den?

Rachel Elnaugh was the first female permanent dragon on the UK series Dragons' Den.

Elnaugh joined the original panel when the British programme launched in 2005. She was known for building Red Letter Days, a gift-experience company that sold vouchers for activities and special occasions.

Deborah Meaden is often given as the answer because she became the best-known female dragon, but she joined the programme later, in 2006. Sara Davies and Jenny Campbell joined much later still. This distinction separates the first female panellist from the longest-serving or most recognisable female investors.

Elnaugh’s tenure on the original panel was brief compared with several later dragons. Nevertheless, her place in the launch line-up makes her important in the programme’s early history and in the development of its investor panel.