Touker Suleyman Leaving Dragons’ Den (Series 23)

Last updated 8 July 2026. This is a living page, refreshed as the BBC confirms his final episodes and any successor.

Touker Suleyman is leaving Dragons' Den after series 23. He announced the decision in early June 2026, ending a decade in the Den since he joined in 2015, and said his final episodes would air later in the year. At 72, he explained that it was time for new blood on the panel.

His exit follows Sara Davies out of the door and leaves the show's line-up in transition. Here is exactly what he said, when his last episodes air, and the deal record he built over ten years.

When did Touker Suleyman announce he was leaving?

Suleyman shared the news in early June 2026, confirming that series 23 would be his last. His remaining episodes are set to air later in 2026, so viewers still have his final run to come rather than an abrupt goodbye. Fellow Dragons publicly congratulated him on his time on the show, with several saying it was hard to picture the Den without him.

The timing lines up with the wider reshuffle. With Sara Davies already gone and Touker now on his way out, series 23 marks the end of a settled era for the panel. Two of the five chairs from recent series are changing hands inside a single year, the biggest churn the Den has seen in some time.

Why is Touker Suleyman leaving?

In his own framing, the move is about renewal rather than falling out. He said he had been reflecting on what matters most and felt it was time for new blood to come into the Den. He also made clear he is not stepping back from business, and plans to spend his time mentoring the entrepreneurs he has invested in and passing on his decades of hands-on experience.

That fits the Dragon viewers knew. Suleyman, who owns the British shirtmaker Hawes & Curtis and the fashion brand Ghost, was the panel's specialist in manufacturing, retail margins and supply chains, the least glamorous and often the most decisive part of a pitch. His departure removes the Dragon founders most wanted in their corner when the numbers behind the product mattered.

What is Touker Suleyman's record in the Den?

Across his decade on the show, our index credits Touker Suleyman with 41 on-air deals and about 1.5 million pounds committed. That is a busy, consistent record, the mark of a Dragon who backed a steady stream of businesses rather than chasing a handful of blockbuster cheques.

His deals cluster where his expertise lies. Fashion, retail and consumer-product pitches drew his sharpest attention, because he could look at a founder's costings and margins and know within minutes whether the business worked. Founders in those categories will feel his absence most.

That instinct was earned over a long career in the rag trade. Suleyman has owned and run British fashion and retail names for decades, and he brought a manufacturer's eye to the Den, focused on unit costs, sourcing and whether a product could actually be made and sold at a profit. It is a practical, operator's perspective that is harder to replace than a headline cheque, and it defined the kind of Dragon he was.

Who will replace Touker Suleyman?

No replacement has been named. Because his final episodes air later in 2026 as part of series 23, the question of who fills his chair is one for the next series, and the BBC has not confirmed anything about the panel beyond series 23.

The show already runs a rotating fifth chair of guest Dragons following Sara Davies's exit, so one route would be to keep rotating and see who fits. Whether the panel returns to a fixed line-up, and who joins it, is still to be announced.

Common questions

Is Touker Suleyman leaving Dragons' Den? Yes. He announced in early June 2026 that series 23 would be his last, after a decade on the panel.

Why is Touker Suleyman leaving? He said it was time for new blood in the Den, and that he wants to focus on mentoring the entrepreneurs he has backed.

When is Touker Suleyman's last episode? His final episodes air later in 2026, as part of series 23.

How many deals did Touker Suleyman do? Our index credits him with 41 on-air deals and about 1.5 million pounds committed across his ten years on the show.