Dragons' Den welcomes youngest Dragon in show's history with Tej Lalvani replacement
Entrepreneur and author Steven Bartlett will be joining the show's line-up of investors for the next series.
The BBC has revealed there'll be a new investor joining the Dragons' Den line-up for the next series – and he'll be the youngest Dragon hired in the show's 16-year history.
Entrepreneur and Sunday Times best-selling author Steven Bartlett is entering the Den as the show's newest Dragon aged 28, replacing outgoing star Tej Lalvani who is leaving the show after four years.
The CEO of social media marketing agency The Social Chain, Bartlett dropped out of university to set up two companies at the age of 22 and has featured in Forbes' 30 under 30, Manchester's Hall of Fame and as an Entrepreneur Rising Star at the Black British Business Awards.
Bartlett said in a statement: "I've been watching Dragons' Den since I was 12 years old – it was my first window into the real world of business and investing.
"It’s a tremendous honour to join the Den, hopefully representing a new generation of entrepreneurs, inspiring young and specifically under-represented entrepreneurs to follow in my footsteps.”
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The BBC's Commissioning Editor of Entertainment, Sarah Clay, added: "As well as being our youngest ever Dragon, Steven’s unique approach to business will bring a whole new dynamic to the Den. He brings a wealth of experience from the social media, technological and brand building worlds. I’m so excited to see him in the next series.”
While Dragons' Den will be Bartlett's first TV gig, he has written a best-selling book, Happy Sexy Millionaire, and currently hosts his own podcast, The Diary of a CEO.
His company, The Social Chain, went public when Bartlett was 27 and has a current market valuation of over £300 million.
He'll be sat beside the show's current stars Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies in series 19 – for which contestant applications are now open.
Bartlett will be the first Dragon to join the show since Crafter's Companion founder Sara Davies entered the Den in 2019, becoming the 19th investor to sit in those iconic leather chairs.
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