Dragons' Den: Why isn't it on tonight, why series 23 has been dropped, and if it's coming back
This decision will not be popular!
Dragons’ Den fans will be missing their weekly fix of the show tonight, as BBC One has made the unpopular decision to drop it midway through the series – so when will it be back?
It’s not the first time the popular series has disappeared without ceremony either. Viewers expecting to see a new episode will be disappointed this week as it has been dropped in favour of MasterChef: The Professionals.
Miffed much? Yep, us too!
Here’s everything we know about the current series 23 of Dragons’ Den, why it’s been dropped mid-series, and when it will be back with new episodes.
Why isn’t Dragons’ Den tonight?
Frustratingly for Dragons’ Den fans, series 23 isn’t on tonight (Thursday, March 26, 2026). In fact, it will be a several months until the show returns to BBC One in its regular Thursday night slot.
Episode 7 was the last episode for a while “as the series will take a break”. Instead, those tuning in to BBC One at 8pm on Thursday will find an episode of MasterChef: The Professionals. The cookery show is another BBC favourite that has jumped around in the schedules in 2026.
Long story short, you need to be on your toes to keep up with the BBC schedulers these days. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to some of their decisions!
Thursday’s episode of MasterChef: The Professionals is the final. In their last chance to secure the win, the remaining three chefs are tasked with making the best three-course meal of their lives. Judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Matt Tebutt are looking for “extraordinary levels of technique that deliver flavour combinations to take them to the top”. Who will be crowned MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 champion?
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When will series 23 return?
A BBC One spokesperson has told us that the rest of Dragons’ Den series 23 will air later this year on BBC One and iPlayer. This is because Dragons’ Den has been split into two parts.
Like previous seasons of the popular BBC One show, season 23 is 14 episodes. So what happened to episode 8 and beyond?
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.”
Although the Beeb has not confirmed exactly when Dragons’ Den series 23 will be back, we can use last year as a point of reference. Brace yourselves, as it might be as long as six months.
In 2025, the Beeb split Dragons’ Den mid-series for the first time. Episodes 1 to 8 went out between February and March. Then, after several months of patiently waiting, episode 9 of Dragons’ Den finally landed in July with just one episode. But annoyingly, the series was once again halted. The missing 5 episodes eventually aired in October 2025 after a six month wait.
It’s a frustrating situation. Surely fans of the long-running series need to be treated with more respect?
5 most successful Dragons' Den pitches of all time
Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce (series 4 in 2007)
The Jamaican-style jerk BBQ sauce, known for its sweet and spicy flavour, for the four Dragons' salivating. Creator Levi Roots famously appeared on the BBC One series, and performed a song to pitch his sauce. It obviously worked as he secured a £50,000 investment from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh for 40% of his company.
The Magic Whiteboard by Neil and Laura Westwood (series 6 in 2008)
Magic Whiteboard became iconic when it sparked a five-way bidding war on Dragons' Den. Creators Neil and Laura Westwood eventually accepted £100,000 from Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden for their portable whiteboard sheets. It became a highly profitable business, with the founders going on to buy back their shares.
PerfectTed (series 20 in 2023)
Backed by Steven Bartlett, this clean energy drink brand became the most valuable company to ever secure a deal on the show, reaching a $200 million valuation. Sales jumped from £200k to £8.2m in 2024.
Chocbox (series 4 in 2012)
A fire-resistant electrical junction box invented by Peter Moule secured a £150,000 investment from Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan for a 36% stake. The product subsequently became one of the show's biggest successes with over £25 million in sales.
The Snaffling Pig Co. (series 14 in 2016)
Nick Coleman and Andrew Allen pitched their gourmet pork scratchings snack brand, and secured investment from Moonpig.com founder Nick Jenkins. The company has since grown to a valuation of over £11 million.
Oh and don't forget some of the rejects that went on to prove the Dragons wrong – including BrewDog, Trunki, Pasta Evangelists, and Tangle Teezer.
