Who was the first woman to join the investor panel of BBC's Dragons' Den?

Rachel Elnaugh was the first woman to join the investor panel of BBC's Dragons' Den.

Elnaugh appeared as an original investor when the British version launched in 2005. She was known for building Red Letter Days, a gift-experience company, and brought experience in branding, retail and consumer businesses to the panel.

Elnaugh left the programme after its second series. Deborah Meaden later became the show's longest-serving female investor, but she was not the first woman to appear on the panel. Kelly Hoppen and Sara Davies joined much later.

Elnaugh's tenure is sometimes overlooked because the programme's best-known early panel is associated with Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden. Her participation nevertheless established the show's first female investor presence.