Two of the UK beauty industry’s most successful founders, Tropic Skincare’s Susie Ma and Refy’s Jenna Meek, will join BBC’s Dragons’ Den as guest dragons in 2026.
The pair will join Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman and Steven Bartlett, as well as fellow guest Dragons Tinie Tempah and Gary Neville, in a line-up set to bring a new generation of entrepreneurial voices to the cave.
Both Ma and Meek have built multi-million pound brands from scratch and will bring impressive experience to the reality investment show, which invites entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas in the hope of receiving financial backing.
Beauty founders are no strangers to the cave. Brands like Pavan Beauty, Hello Klean, UpCircle and Faace all got on the elevator in previous series. But the addition of two industry leaders marks a significant moment for the UK’s fast-growing beauty and skincare sector.
Jenna Meek, who co-founded Refy with influencer Jess Hunt in 2020, has overseen one of British beauty’s biggest social-first growth stories. Refy now has nearly a million Instagram followers and retail partnerships with Selfridges, Sephora and Space NK. Before Refy, Meek founded festival-inspired beauty brand Shrine, known for its glitter and facial jewelry.
She described taking part in the program as a personal milestone: “I’m really excited to be on Dragons’ Den. It’s been a lifelong goal of mine. I grew up watching with my dad and it inspired me to become an entrepreneur. It’s such an encouraging environment and it’s incredible to sit next to the dragons – especially Deborah, who inspired me from a young age.”
Susie Ma, founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare, brings an equally compelling story. At 15, she turned a £200 loan from her mother into a stall at Greenwich Market, eventually building it into a £68m-a-year natural skincare empire based in Croydon.
Her big break came after appearing on The Apprentice in 2011, where she secured an investment from Lord Alan Sugar. She later bought out Sugar and became the sole owner of the company.
Ma has also become known for her philanthropic leadership, donating 10% of Tropic’s profits to charity. The company has funded the construction of four schools in remote regions with United World Schools, planted more than 7,000 trees in the Tropic Forest and supports efforts to protect reefs in Australia.
Joining the Den, she said: “It’s an absolute honor to be a guest dragon. I started Tropic Skincare from a market stall when I was 15, so I know the courage, vision and belief it takes to turn an idea into something extraordinary. I’m here to support the brave – the next generation of changemakers who are building businesses with meaning and purpose. Sitting in this iconic chair is a pinch-me moment.”
The BBC hopes the inclusion of founders who have built modern, socially conscious brands will resonate with a new wave of entrepreneurs. Her arrival also highlights the booming influence of the UK beauty industry, which is now producing some of the country’s most dynamic start-up success stories.
