How Many Series of Dragons’ Den Are There? (2026)

Last updated 8 July 2026. This is a living page, refreshed as the BBC airs and confirms new series.

As of 2026, the UK Dragons' Den is on its 23rd series, with 22 series fully complete and series 23 airing. Series 23 opened on BBC One on 29 January 2026 and ran for seven episodes to 12 March, with more episodes confirmed for later in the year, which is why the total is best described as 22 finished series and one in progress.

The Canadian version, a separate production on CBC, has run even longer in episode terms. It reached its milestone 20th season, with 294 episodes aired. Our index tracks the UK show in detail, so the numbers below cover the 22 British series cataloged so far, 1,491 pitches in all.

How many series of the UK Dragons' Den are there?

The British Den first aired on BBC Two on 4 January 2005 and has run every year since, moving to BBC One in recent years. Counting series 23, which is airing in 2026, that makes 23 UK series to date. Twenty-two of them are complete and fully in our index; series 23 is still going, opening in January 2026 and returning with a second batch of episodes later in the year.

One face has been there the whole way. Peter Jones is the only Dragon to have appeared in every single series since the very first episode in 2005, which makes him the show's living link back to the beginning.

How many episodes and pitches have there been?

Across the 22 complete UK series in our index, 1,491 businesses have pitched the Dragons. Of those, 448 walked out with a deal on air, which is an overall success rate of about 30 percent. The rest went home empty-handed, which is part of what makes the show watchable: most founders do not get the money.

The individual series vary a lot in size. The busiest was series 10, with 100 pitches. More recent series have been leaner, with 55 to 70 businesses each, but the deals come thicker and faster now than they did at the start.

That combination, fewer pitches but more deals, is a good shorthand for how the modern show works. Episodes are tighter, the businesses arriving are further along, and the Dragons are quicker to commit, so a leaner recent series can still produce more investments than a bigger series did a decade earlier.

How has the deal rate changed over the years?

The single clearest trend in the data is that the Dragons say yes far more often than they used to. In series 1, only 8 of 61 pitches landed a deal, a rate of about 13 percent. By series 22, that had climbed to 32 deals from 55 pitches, roughly 58 percent. The success rate has more than quadrupled over the life of the show.

There are a few reasons for the shift. Founders now arrive better prepared, having watched hundreds of episodes and learned exactly what the Dragons want to hear. The panel has also grown more comfortable teaming up on joint deals, which spreads the risk and makes a yes easier. The early series, by contrast, were a much colder room.

How many seasons is the Canadian Dragons' Den?

The Canadian Dragons' Den is a completely separate show with its own Dragons, filmed in Canada for CBC. It debuted on 3 October 2006, is hosted by Dianne Buckner, and has reached its 20th season with 294 episodes to its name. Its early panel included Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec, both of whom later became sharks on the American Shark Tank.

So when people ask how many seasons Dragons' Den has, the honest answer depends on which country they mean. The UK show is on series 23. The Canadian show has passed 20 seasons and 294 episodes. They share a name and a format, but not a cast or a count.

Common questions

How many series of Dragons' Den are there in 2026? The UK show is on its 23rd series, with 22 complete and series 23 airing across 2026.

When did Dragons' Den start? The UK version began on BBC Two on 4 January 2005. The Canadian version followed on CBC in October 2006.

How many episodes of Dragons' Den are there? The Canadian version has aired 294 episodes across 20 seasons. The UK version has run 22 complete series and is airing its 23rd.

How many pitches have there been on the UK show? Our index counts 1,491 pitches across the 22 complete series, of which 448 landed a deal, an overall rate of about 30 percent.