Why Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden’s career might take a ‘different course’ after Taskmaster’s New Year Treat

Virgin Radio

2 Jan 2024, 12:55

Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden has revealed how taking part in Taskmaster’s New Year Treat brought out her competitive side. 

Fans can laugh their way into the new year with the annual star-studded laughter fest tonight (2nd January). This year's show will feature Meaden, musician Kojey Radical, Am I Being Unreasonable? actor Lenny Rush, wildlife expert Steve Backshall and telly and radio host Zoe Ball. 

They will all have to face the ludicrously festive tasks set by Greg and Little Alex Horne, all in the hopes of winning the Trophy of Eyebrows. 

Speaking exclusively to virginradio.co.uk, business guru Deborah admitted it didn’t take long for her serious side to come crumbling down once the tasks started rolling, and that competitive streak came in handy. 

She explained: “As soon as I started, I thought, right okay, now, this is important. How do I win this task? So it's very funny, and I really enjoyed it. 

“I got some genuine giggles while I was doing Taskmaster, because I did catch myself thinking, I am a serious business woman!”

It was that realisation that left Deborah thinking she might have to ditch the Den entirely, adding: “I think that might be a thing of the past after this programme goes out, I think from now on my career might have to take a different course. 

“When you've seen Taskmaster, some of the stuff I was doing. I think I said out loud once, just to make sure I remembered, ‘I am a serious business woman!’ 

While audiences will be surprised to see a new side of Deborah, the entrepreneur is also convinced other business figures should give it a go. 

On who she thinks would be a good fit on a Taskmaster special, she replied: “People who are held up as experts in their fields. I'm in business, and I'm a Dragon and I'm an expert. I think there's something quite nice about seeing people who are at the top of their game being put into an environment like that.

“I think if I did come up with somebody, it would be someone you know, maybe Lord Sugar, or somebody who you'd really like to see who are at top of their game, but what about in this environment?”

Taskmaster’s New Year Treat airs on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 on Channel 4.