Dragons’ Den star DENIES they have quit hit BBC series after mix-up leaves fans gutted

DRAGON's Den stars Steven Bartlett has denied quitting the hit BBC series after fans begged him to remain on the show.

The Diary Of A CEO podcast host had written a lengthy tribute to the show and it confused his fans, after he wrapped up filming the latest series.

Clarifying his post, Steven later added: "I'm not leaving Dragons Den, it's the last day of filming this series!

"I was thanking the team for a great season."

The confusion came when Steven posted a photo of his dressing room door and wrote over the top "last day on set".

He captioned his post: "One last day on set! Let me just say..."

"It's not lost on me what an honour it has been to be asked to participate in this show.

"A 12 year old childhood dream come true! To sit between two of my childhood role models @deborahmeaden @peterionescbe has been one of the most surreal experiences of my life.

"Thank you to @saradaviescc & @touker_suleyman too, they've been kind, supportive and hilarious since before I stepped on set 2-3 years ago! Dragon's Den is an important piece of British treasure."

He continued: "My goal is to leave this platform better than I found it so that all the kids out there that are sat watching it at home - like I was once upon a time get a valuable window into entrepreneurship that might empower them to create businesses of their own!

“The show is thriving. Views have climbed "year over year", the show is innovating, it feels fresh and the pitches are getting better and better. Hope you enjoy this season, it’s my favourite. And thanks to the BBC for having me."

Steven joined Dragons' Den in 2022, replacing Tej Lalvani.

His post comes hot on the heels of the news that former footballer Gary Neville is joining the next series as a guest Dragon.

Gary will join London-born and US-based fashion mogul Emma Grede as guests on the panel for series 21.