Dragons' Den series 23: Where is Touker Suleyman as he disappears from episode 8
Susie Ma, Jenna Meek, Pete Jones, Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett appear in the new episode
Dragons’ Den returns to our screens tonight with the missing half of series 23, after BBC One made the unpopular decision to drop it midway through the series – but where is missing Dragon Touker Suleyman?
The entertainment show screeched to an expectedly stop in March 2026, halfway through series 23. At the time it was replaced with MasterChef: The Professionals.
Episode 7 was the last episode for a while “as the series took a break”. Like previous seasons of the popular BBC One show, season 23 is 14 episodes. A BBC spokesperson told us: “It’s a split series so will continue later this year with the last episode in this run on Thursday, March 12, 2026.”
Now, five months later, Dragons’ Den returns, but it’s missing a key member. So where is Touker Suleyman and has he left the show?
The return of Dragons’ Den series 23
The Dragons finally return on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 8pm on BBC One. Or at least some of them do.
As more aspiring entrepreneurs get the chance to pitch their business ideas to multimillionaire investors, there’s one notable absence. While Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, and Steven Bartlett return, Touker Suleyman does not. It’s very rare for one of the Dragons to be missing. This follows Sara Davies leaving at the end of series 22.
Rather than replace her, BBC One announced a string of guest judges including Tinie Tempah, Gary Neville, Jenna Meek, and Susie Ma. And not one, but two of them appear in episode 8 tonight.
As well as one guest Dragon to replace Sara Davies, there is another guest to replace Touker Suleyman. So where is he, and had he already left after announcing he was retiring from the show?
Where is Touker Suleyman on Dragons’ Den tonight?
Dragons’ Den episode 8 sees business hopefuls pitch water-saving powder-to-liquid hair care, traditional confectionery, handcrafted spice blends and a mission-led travel start-up to Susie Ma, Jenna Meek, Pete Jones, Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett.
So where is Touker Suleyman? A BBC spokesperson told us that the fashion retail entrepreneur is “just absent in episode 8”, so will be back for episode 9 the following week. Instead, for the first time ever, the women Deborah Meaden, Jenna Meek, and Susie Ma outnumber the men in the Den. Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones are the only men on the panel.
Although Touker’s absence remains unexplained, we do know that the British-Turkish Cypriot has announced his departure from the show.
Is Touker Suleyman leaving Dragons’ Den?
Sadly, Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman has announced he’s leaving the show after over a decade. The businessman, 73, shared the news in June, saying it was time for the show to invest in some “new blood”.
Touker, who owns shirt maker Hawes And Curtis and fashion label Ghost, joined the show back in 2015. During his 11 years on the programme, he invested in several businesses that went on to become huge successes, including baby bouncer company Little Hoppa and baked goods brand Bad Brownie.
Touker shared the news of his exit on his Instagram. In a lengthy statement, he wrote: “After 10 extraordinary years as a Dragon on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, I have made the decision to step down from the show. It has been an immense privilege to sit in that chair, to meet so many passionate and talented entrepreneurs and to invest in business and people I truly believed in.”
He continued: “The show gave me a platform not only to invest in leading British founders and companies but to share hard-won wisdom built over decades in business. And I hope that, in some small way, I made a difference to those who stood opposite me.
“I am proud of every deal made, every pitch challenged and every founder I had the honour of backing. But I firmly believe that great institutions must evolve, and it is time for new blood to take my seat in the Den and bring their own vision to this brilliant show. To the BBC, to my fellow Dragons past and present, to the production team and above all to the entrepreneurs who dared to walk through those doors, thank you. It has been one of the great joys of my career. The fire in the Den burns on. I simply pass the torch.”
When is he leaving, and who is replacing him?
Viewers can realistically expect for Touker to appear in series 23, and not return for series 24. So prepare for more big changes to the line-up in 2027.
Whether any of the four guest judges will stay on as a permanent replacement remains to be seen. The Beeb are keeping schtum, so watch this space.
Read more: Inspiring way Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Jenna Meek got rich at an admirably young age
