Deborah Meaden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deborah Meaden
Meaden after a BBC's Dragons' Den appearance, 2011
Born	Deborah Sonia Charles (1959-02-11) 11 February 1959 (age 66) Taunton, Somerset, England
Nationality	British
Education	Trowbridge High School
Alma mater	Brighton Technical College
Occupation	Businesswoman
Known for	Dragons' Den Strictly Come Dancing
Spouse(s)	Paul Farmer ​ (m. 1993)​

Deborah Sonia Meaden (born on February 11, 1959) is a British businesswoman and TV star. She used to run a very successful family holiday business. Many people know her as one of the 'Dragons' on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den.

Early Life and Education

Deborah Sonia Charles was born in Taunton, Somerset, England. Her parents divorced when she was young. Her mother then moved Deborah and her older sister Gail to Brightlingsea in Essex. When Deborah was seven, her mother married Brian Meaden, who became like a father to her.

Deborah went to the Godolphin School for a short time. She then attended Trowbridge High School for Girls. She left school when she was 16 years old.

Deborah Meaden's Business Journey

After leaving school, Deborah studied business at Brighton Technical College. Her first job was as a sales-room model in a fashion house.

Starting Businesses

When she was 19, Deborah moved to Italy. There, she started a company that sold glass and ceramic products. These products were sold to shops like Harvey Nichols. This company closed after about 18 months.

Later, Deborah and a partner bought a franchise for a textile company called Stefanel. This shop was in the West Country. She sold her share of the business to her partner two years later.

After that, she ran several successful businesses in leisure and retail. One of these jobs was running a Prize Bingo game at Butlins in Minehead.

Working with Family Businesses

In 1988, Deborah joined her family's business. She managed their amusement arcade operations. In 1992, she joined Weststar Holidays. This was a family holiday park company based in Exeter, Devon. Most of its holiday parks were in South West England.

In 1999, Deborah took over the company. She bought most of the shares. By the time she sold Weststar six years later, it was providing holidays for over 150,000 people each year. In 2005, she sold part of Weststar in a deal worth £33 million. In 2007, she sold her remaining share of the company for about £19 million.

Other Business Ventures

In 2009, Deborah bought Fox Brothers. This is a textile mill in Wellington, Somerset, that started in 1772. She bought it with another shareholder, Douglas Cordeaux.

In October 2011, Deborah launched 'The Merchant Fox'. This is an online shop that sells luxury goods made in Britain.

Deborah Meaden on Television

Deborah Meaden is well-known for her TV appearances.

Dragons' Den

Deborah is famous for being an investor, or 'Dragon', on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den. She joined the show in August 2006 for its third series. She was the only female investor for a while. Later, other women joined the show. As of 2021, she had invested in 63 businesses through the show. Her total investments were worth over £3.3 million.

Strictly Come Dancing

Deborah took part in the eleventh series of the BBC One dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. The show started on September 7, 2013. She danced with professional dancer Robin Windsor. She was eliminated from the show on October 26, 2013.

Other TV Appearances

Deborah has appeared on many other TV shows, including:

• GMTV (2009)
• Would I Lie to You? (2010)
• Pointless (2010)
• Loose Women (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• Lorraine (2011, 2012, 2013, 2019)
• Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2011)
• Alan Carr: Chatty Man (2012, 2013)
• Room 101 (2013)
• Have I Got News for You (2013)
• The Chase: Celebrity Special (2015)
• The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice (2015)
• Mandy (2022)
• The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off (2023)
• Celebrity Gogglebox (2023)
• Taskmaster (2024)

Books and Radio

Deborah co-presents The Big Green Money Show for BBC Radio 5 live. This weekly show started in March 2022. It talks about what businesses and people are doing to help with climate change.

She has also written books. In 2009, she published Common Sense Rules. In 2023, she published Why Money Matters, which is for children aged six to nine. In 2024, her book Deborah Meaden Talks Money was released for young adults.

Charity Work and Interests

Deborah is a member of the Council of Ambassadors for the World Wildlife Fund. She also works with the Dogs Trust charity. She is an ambassador for the Marine Conservation Society.

She is an ambassador for the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals. This charity helps dogs and horses after they retire from working with the police, fire, prison, and border force services. Since 2010, she has been an ambassador for the Tusk Trust, an organization that protects African wildlife. She joined their board of trustees in 2016.

Deborah enjoys watching The Shawshank Redemption. Her favorite holiday places are in Central and South America. She also likes the sport of rugby union. In October 2020, Deborah started eating a plant-based diet.

Personal Life

Deborah met her husband, Paul Farmer, in 1985. He was working at Weststar during his university break. They later separated but got back together after Deborah traveled to Venezuela. They married in 1993.

The couple does not have children. They live in an old house near Langport in Somerset with many animals. Deborah bought the property in 2006 after selling her Weststar Holidays business. The house has been carefully renovated using materials from its original time period.

In August 2022, Deborah shared that she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2015. This type of skin cancer was found after her makeup artist noticed a suspicious spot on her face.

Awards and Recognition

Deborah Meaden has received several honorary degrees from universities:

• In July 2010, she received an honorary degree from the University of Exeter Business School.
• She also received an honorary degree from Staffordshire University in the same month.
• In July 2013, she was given an honorary degree at Keele University.
• In July 2014, Deborah received an honorary degree from Bath Spa University.

She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Images for kids

• 

  Deborah Meaden after a Dragons' Den appearance in 2011.