Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Peter Jones' absence from latest episodes of Dragons' Den explained

Find out why the investor has been missing from the BBC show... 


dragons den peter jones missing© Photo: BBC
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
June 24, 2021
Share this:

Viewers tuning into Dragons' Den may have been left confused after spotting a slight change in the show's line up.

MORE: Dragons' Den: How Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and more made their fortunes

Joining Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Tej Lalvani and Sara Davies on the episode was former dragon Theo Paphitis, instead of the show's longest-serving investor Peter Jones.

But why is Peter missing and when will he return? Find out more below...

WATCH: Former Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne's proposal details revealed

Peter sadly has had to sit out of the most recent run of episodes after being ordered to follow government guidelines and self-isolate after coming into contact with someone with Covid-19. It's not known whether Peter has contracted the virus himself, but fingers crossed he's okay! 

MORE: Dragons' Den: meet the children of Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman and more

MORE: Deborah Meaden shares health update after fans express concern over hospital picture

Taking his place on the panel in his absence is fashion mogul Theo who appeared on the show for nine series between 2005 and 2012. 

Explaining the change in the lineup on last week's episode, host Evan Davis told viewers: "This week there's a new but very familiar face in one of the chairs, because even dragons aren't immune to the effects of the pandemic. With Peter Jones having to self-isolate, high street heavyweight Theo Paphitis has stepped in to take his place."

theo© Photo: BBC

Theo Paphitis has joined the panel of dragons in Peter Jones' absence

Peter also addressed his absence in a Twitter post, writing: "Since Dragons' Den began 16 years ago I haven't missed a single day's filming however during the last series I had to self-isolate. When discussing with @BBCOne who could stand in for me I chose @TheoPaphitis as he is one of the great past dragon."

MORE: Dragons' Den: 5 of the most successful rejected businesses

Peter is due to make his return to the show on next week's episode, which will air on Thursday 1 July. However, one dragon who will be bowing out for good at the end of the current series is Vitabiotic owner Tej who announced back in January that he will be leaving to focus more on his businesses.

He will be replaced by 28-year-old entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, who is the youngest investor in the show's history.

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more