BBC has confirmed a new series of Dragons’ Den will start later in 2021.
Series 18 of Dragons’ Den will return to TV on BBC One, moving from BBC Two where it has aired since 2005.
The new series will begin in the Spring, starting on Thursday, April 1 2021 at 8PM on BBC One.
Ahead of the new series premiere, it’s been announced that after four years and multiple investments in the Den, Dragon Tej Lalvani will step down from the show.
The upcoming outing will be his last before he steps down to devote more time to his increasing business interests.
He’ll be joined on the new series by fellow investors Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman. A potential replacement for Tej Lalvani has not been announced.
Tej Lalvani said: “I’m truly excited for the upcoming series of Dragons’ Den, which looks set to be one of the best. However after an incredibly enjoyable four years as a Dragon I have decided that this next series will be my last.
“My commitment to the international growth and expansion of my core business and the numerous investments over the years sadly means I will be unable to dedicate the necessary time moving forward.
“I would like to thank the BBC for the great opportunity along with their support and understanding. I wish everyone on the team the very best as it’s been a true pleasure working together.”
The new series of Dragons’ Den will air across 14 episodes after filming in 2020 under coronavirus guidelines.
Sarah Clay, the BBC’s Commissioning Editor for Entertainment said: “Despite the additional production challenges Covid-19 posed, this new series is one of the most tense and competitive yet.
“We’ll be very sorry to see Tej go as he’s one of the shrewdest and coolest Dragons ever to grace the Den and I want to thank him for his enormous contributions, both personally and professionally to the series.
“As audiences will see, he certainly leaves the show on a high and we wish him continued success.”
You can watch recent episodes of Dragons’ Den on the BBC iPlayer here.
Picture: BBC
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