Tej Lalvani has announced that the upcoming series of Dragons' Den will be his last.

The 46-year-old, who made his money in the vitamin business, has been part of the show's lineup for the last four years.

The 14-episode new series - filmed last year under social distancing rules - will see Lalvani return alongside Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman.

"I'm truly excited for the upcoming series of Dragons' Den, which looks set to be one of the best. However after an incredibly enjoyable four years as a Dragon I have decided that this next series will be my last," said Lalvani.

"My commitment to the international growth and expansion of my core business and the numerous investments over the years sadly means I will be unable to dedicate the necessary time moving forward.

"I would like to thank the BBC for the great opportunity along with their support and understanding. I wish everyone on the team the very best as it's been a true pleasure working together."

Sarah Clay, the BBC's commissioning editor for entertainment, added: "Despite the additional production challenges COVID-19 posed, this new series is one of the most tense and competitive yet.

"We'll be very sorry to see Tej go as he's one of the shrewdest and coolest Dragons ever to grace the Den and I want to thank him for his enormous contributions, both personally and professionally to the series.

"As audiences will see, he certainly leaves the show on a high and we wish him continued success."

The new series is expected to start on BBC Two in the coming months.