FIRST LOOK: SERIES 19 OF DRAGONS' DEN

Steven Bartlett set to breathe new fire into the Den as he takes over from departing Dragon Tej Lalvani.

Bartlett is founder and former CEO of social media marketing agency The Social Chain which he set up from a bedroom in Manchester. He dropped out of university and built the group’s two flagship companies, Social Chain and Media Chain, when he was just 22 years old before taking his company public at 27, with a current market valuation of over £300m.

Sarah Clay, the BBC’s Commissioning Editor of Entertainment says: “As well as being our youngest ever Dragon, Steven’s unique approach to business will bring a whole new dynamic to the Den. He brings a wealth of experience from the social media, technological and brand building worlds. I’m so excited to see him in the next series.”

Steven Bartlett says: “I’ve been watching Dragons’ Den since I was 12 years old - it was my first window into the real world of business and investing. It’s a tremendous honour to join the Den, hopefully representing a new generation of entrepreneurs, inspiring young and specifically under-represented entrepreneurs to follow in my footsteps.”

Chi Ukairo Dragons’ Den Executive Producer, BBC Studios added: “Steven is a great addition to the Den and we are all looking forward to seeing him in action when we start filming this summer.”