The reason for Gary Neville’s absence on Dragons’ Den tonight has been revealed.

The footballer is making his debut on the BBC show – which also stars Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies and Steven Bartlett – this series but he was not on the programme tonight.

The BBC have now confirmed why Gary isn’t on the show, whilst the footballer has opened up about filming for the series and what it meant stepping into the Den for the first time to help support investors.

He told The Mirror: “The thing that really stuck out for me was the length of the pitches. It really was a test of endurance – the concentration span needed was something I’d not thought about before. I think it’s becoming more and more normal particularly for the younger generation to want to change career paths and I think having that agility and flexibility in life is important. But also being bold and brave enough to do it. Being an entrepreneur by the very nature of it means that you are courageous, and you take risks.”

His co-stars have also heaped praise on his Dragon abilities, with Peter joking he saved him some money.

“I quite liked Gary, he saved me some money,” he said, before Steven Bartlett added: “They are a really exciting change. When you throw in a new perspective it adds different tension and brings a new energy to the Den. It keeps you focused. There was one particular pitch to do with something Gary knows very well and his first comment showed he had a completely different perspective on it. A couple of words he said, based on his experience, made some of the Dragons say: ‘I’m not going to invest.'”

Gary also opened up about working with the Dragons and how they all bonded on the first day.

“After filming on the first night, we all went out for something to eat together. This was something that the Dragons did after every filming day, they’d eat at the same restaurant at the same table and they’d built this incredible team spirit together. I knew they would all get on as people do when they’re doing television shows, but I didn’t recognise that it would be as close a team as it was,” he said.

Gary will appear on an episode in late January – with him getting his official debut on January 18, 2024.

Speaking about joining the show in the coming weeks, he added in a statement: “I’m absolutely delighted to join the Dragons’ Den, even if it’s only for a very short period on an interim contract. I’m used to being an interim coach. I’m going to bring character, personality, drive, determination, hard work, all the things you’d want in a team player.”