Why isn’t Peter Jones on Dragon’s Den and who has 'replaced' him?

Peter Jones
(Image credit: Getty)

Dragon's Den fans were left wondering why isn't Peter Jones on Dragon's Den? We look at why and who has replaced him...

Dragon's Den fans have been left wondering what's happened to Dragon Peter Jones after he was spotted missing from episode 10 of the BBC One show.

And he's still not back on screens for Episode 11 of the 18th series which airs tonight (Thursday, 10th June) as the TV planner details all the judges except him and there is another surprise in store for fans of the entrepreneurial show...

Why isn't Peter Jones on Dragon's Den?

Peter Jones was notably missing from Dragon's Den this week after he was forced to self-isolate following a business trip abroad. It's the first time the long-standing Dragon has ever had to be absent from filming the show in his 16 year show history.

He wrote on Instagram, 'Since Dragons’ Den began 16 years ago I haven’t missed a single day’s filming. However, when we were filming the last series I had to self-isolate...'

And the BBC show teased his replacement on social media beforehand, and captioned it, 'Even Dragons can’t escape the effects of the pandemic, so with Peter Jones having to self-isolate for tonight’s episode, @DeborahMeaden, @TejLalvani, @toukersuleyman and @SaraDaviesCC will be joined by an old favourite! #GuessWho #DragonsDen.'

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Who has 'replaced' Peter Jones on Dragon's Den?

Peter Jones chose ex-Dragon Theo Paphitis as his replacement – to “stand-in for him”. He added, 'When discussing with the BBC who could stand in for me I chose Theo as in my opinion he remains one of the great past Dragons. He’s also a close friend and an amazing businessman.'

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And fans who enjoyed his surprise comeback will be pleased to know that he is also on the show tonight, as Peter Jones was missing for a chunk of filming for that series. And with just three episodes of the series left, will Theo be in the seat for the remainder? Only time will tell.

The BBC show tweeted, 'Den Day is upon us! Peter is still away so join @DeborahMeaden, @TejLalvani, @toukersuleyman and @SaraDaviesCC with our special guest @TheoPaphitis tonight at 8pm. See you then. #dragonsden'

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But it's not the first time that Theo has returned to step in for a Dragon. He temporarily stood in for Touker Suleyman in 2019, who was unable to film for part of the series during that year.

And Theo is enjoying keeping his seat warm. He tweeted, 'I'm back in the Den again tonight standing in for the tall fella. It's a good'un so don't miss it... it even gets the thumbs up from @TejLalvani #DragonsDen @DeborahMeaden, @SaraDaviesCC, @toukersuleyman, @dragonjones, @BBCDragonsDen.'

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Dragon's Den airs Thursdays, 8pm on BBC One.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)