The 22nd series of Dragons’ Den premiered on January 9, featuring the return of regular Dragons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett, and Touker Suleyman.
The introduction of guest Dragons, however, a format change that began in the previous series when former Man Utd star-turned-noted-Manchester-entrepreneur Gary Neville and fashion designer and businesswoman Emma Grede dropped by the Den to brighten up a couple of episodes, has sparked significant viewer backlash.
Fitness expert Joe Wicks, known as The Body Coach, was the first guest Dragon to join the panel this season, and the pre-publicity suggests he’ll soon be joined by other guest stars like TV style guru Trinny Woodall and returning fashion entrepreneur Grede.
As the episode aired, many fans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the inclusion of guest Dragons. The sentiment was clear: viewers missed the traditional format of the show and were not impressed with the celebrity additions. One viewer lamented, “We miss the old Dragons’ Den. Years ago, they would have told someone how silly it was to sell their house. Don’t like the extra person. It wasn’t broke.” Another echoed this sentiment, saying, “Oh good, #dragonsden going down the pointless celeb route. Why????”
The criticism was not limited to the presence of Wicks alone. Many fans felt that the guest Dragons disrupted the dynamic of the show, which they had come to love for its straightforward and sometimes brutally honest approach to entrepreneurship: “Can’t f****** BEAR guest dragons. Just to shoehorn in a schmaltzy hook. Get them OFF. I want Deborah and Peter fighting over a pitch, not some plonker wheeled in which messes the vibe up,” one viewer unambiguously stated.
Undeterred by the inevitable potential social media roasting, Wicks himself expressed enthusiasm about his role on the show ahead of broadcast, stating, “I can’t wait to step into the den as a guest dragon and meet all the brilliant and passionate entrepreneurs. My own journey has shown me that with the right mindset and a lot of hard work, anything is possible. I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences and hopefully helping some amazing businesses reach their full potential.”
Despite Wicks’ positive outlook, the overall reaction from the audience was one of skepticism, mixed with a hefty dose of nostalgia for the earlier days of Dragons’ Den. Many viewers longed for the return of the original format, where the focus was on innovative products and the candid interactions between the regular Dragons and the entrepreneurs: “Don’t like these extra Dragons. Bring back the good old days of widgets and thingymejigs to hold your shower head up,” one viewer reminisced.
The introduction of guest Dragons has undoubtedly caught the attention of the show’s fanbase, although not necessarily in the way the producers might have hoped. As the series progresses, it remains to be seen whether the guest Dragons will win over the skeptics, or if the calls for a return to the classic format will grow louder. For the time being, it looks like the majority of the audience is out.