Touker Suleyman ended his 10-year run on Dragons' Den when series 23 aired its final episode on Friday, 25 September. The episode ran at 8pm, a day after the penultimate instalment, and marked his last appearance on the show.
Friday, 25 September at 8pm
The finale sat outside the usual Thursday slot, and that one-day shift gave the episode a sharper handover feel than a routine midweek broadcast. For viewers following the panel, it also closed the latest round of the show’s rotating chair changes in the same hour that Suleyman signed off.
Touker Suleyman had already said earlier this year that he was leaving after 10 years on the show. He described it as an immense privilege to sit in the chair, meet passionate entrepreneurs, and invest in British founders and companies, while saying the programme had given him a platform to share hard-won wisdom built over decades in business.
Gary Neville joins the finale
The final episode also included Gary Neville returning as a guest Dragon, which gave the closing hour a split message: one long-serving investor departing, another familiar face rotating back in. That mix mattered because the panel had already expanded after Sara Davies announced her exit, with four guest Dragons — Gary Neville, Jenna Meek, Susie Ma and Tinie Tempah — taking turns during the series.
Suleyman said at 72 that he was reflecting on what matters most, and that it was time for new blood to take his seat in the Den and bring their own vision to the show. He also said stepping back would give him more time to mentor the entrepreneurs he has invested in and to give back 50 years of business experience.
One and iPlayer
The series finale aired on One and iPlayer, so the immediate change for viewers was simple: the last chance to watch Suleyman in the Den arrived on a Friday night, not the usual Thursday. The broader panel reset is now part of the show’s next phase, but the unanswered issue left by the finale is straightforward — who will permanently replace Touker Suleyman in the Den?
