BBC Studios has released first-look photo of business moguls Gary Neville and Emma Grede as they join Dragons’ Den as the first ever Guest Dragons. They’ll be sitting alongside Den heavyweights Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies, and Steven Bartlett in series 21 of the BBC One primetime show.

Ready to invest in businesses of the future, the Dragons are pictured inside the Den, with the striking backdrop of the Manchester skyline at dusk.

Gary and Emma will feature in special Guest Dragon episodes in series 21 of the show, which is set to air on BBC One next year.

Gary says: “It’s a pleasure to join the Dragons as a guest for the new series and see some of the amazing pitches from budding entrepreneurs from different walks of life. It was a privilege to share my knowledge and guidance with the brave entrepreneurs who entered the Den, but you’ll have to wait and see whether I committed to any investments!”

Emma says: “Being back in the UK and joining this series as a Guest Dragon has been amazing and feels very full circle to me. Being able to share my own knowledge from the business I’ve built with the entrepreneurs is so important, there’s a lot of major talent in this upcoming series, and I hope it inspires the next generation to create opportunities for themselves.”

Samantha Davies, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, says: “In our 21st series it’s hugely exciting to bring a fresh, new dynamic to the Den in the form of Guest Dragons. Gary and Emma are both masters in their fields and it’ll be fantastic to see their different styles and perspectives in the business world. But our existing Dragons aren’t just going to sit back and let them snap up all the best deals, so viewers can expect all the usual competitiveness and sass in the Den.”

Sarah Clay, Commissioning Editor at the BBC says: “Viewers have a lot to look forward to in the 21st series with the first ever Guest Dragons, a new set of bold entrepreneurs and as always, the five formidable Dragons. It is great to see how highly popular with audiences the show remains, with each new season bringing inspiration and surprises.”

The current series of Dragons’ Den is available to watch on BBC iPlayer here.

Dragons’ Den is commissioned for BBC One and BBC iPlayer by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning, the Commissioning editor for BBC Entertainment is Sarah Clay. The programme is produced by BBC Studios Factual Entertainment base in Glasgow led by Creative Director Adeline Ramage Rooney. The Executive Producer is Samantha Davies and the Series Producer is Natalie Richardson.

Dragons’ Den will return for series 21 in 2024.