BBC Dragons' Den star confirms final episodes following exit announcement
The star is leaving the show after a decade on the BBC series.
Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman has confirmed when his final episodes will air after he announced his departure from the long running BBC show following a decade on the programme. The 72-year-old businessman reassured fans he still had one further season of the show for them to look forward to. "Fans of the series can still catch me in action one last time. My final episodes will be airing later this year. I hope you will tune in and enjoy what has been a truly memorable run in the den," he penned, as part of an Instagram post in which he detailed his reasons for leaving.
"After ten extraordinary years as a Dragon on BBC's Dragons' Den, I have made the decision to step down from the show," he shared in the post. "It has been an immense privilege to sit in that chair, to meet so many passionate and talented entrepreneurs, and to invest in businesses and people I truly believed in.
"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."
The star said he is departing after "reflecting on what matters most" adding he was "proud of every deal made, every pitch challenged, and every founder [he] had the honour of backing."
He continued: "But I firmly believe that great institutions must evolve, and it's time for new blood to take my seat in the den and bring their own vision to this brilliant show.
"Stepping back from dragons will give me more time to mentor the entrepreneurs I have invested in and to give back the 50 years of business experience I have accumulated," he wrote.
"If I can help the next generation avoid the pitfalls I've faced, seize the opportunities I almost missed, and build businesses they are truly proud of, then that will be the most rewarding chapter of my career yet. T
"To the BBC, 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," he concluded.
The retail and manufacturing mogul first appeared on the show in 2015, joining fellow investors Nick Jenkins and Sarah Willingham, and swiftly established himself as a firm favourite with BBC audiences.
