The Magician's Assistant

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In a minute or so when my cue comes, I’ll slip off the top layer of my costume, get in position and prepare to reappear in what seems like a different outfit and from what seems like a tiny space. It’s magic. The audience applaud, delighted that they have been fooled. Find sources: "Debbie McGee"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( May 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Hogan, Michael (16 December 2017). "Strictly Come Dancing 2017 live final: Joe McFadden lifts glitterball trophy despite being outscored by Alexandra Burke". Telegraph.co.uk . Retrieved 19 December 2017. Smiles, Mieka (13 October 2014). " 'I wasn't a millionaire when I married Debbie McGee', says Paul Daniels as he debunks famous Mrs Merton one-liner". Teesside Gazette.

McGee attended Our Lady Immaculate RC Primary School in Tolworth, followed by Tolworth Girls' School, a secondary school also in Tolworth. At the age of 16 McGee auditioned for and won a place at the Royal Ballet School. After graduating, she joined the Iranian National Ballet Company in Tehran. Aged 19, she became part of the Corps de Ballet and later a soloist, but her ballet career was brought to an abrupt halt by the Iranian Revolution. She was forced to flee the country and returned to the UK with little in the way of money and possessions. Seeking new work she auditioned for the Bernard Delfont Organisation, which was responsible for a number of big summer resort shows and touring productions. [5] [6] [7] Delfont found her a job performing on stage with magician Paul Daniels in his 1979 summer show at the Britannia Pier Theatre in Great Yarmouth. She met Daniels on 23 May 1979 at rehearsals for the show, which were held at a church hall in London. [4] [7] [8]McGee was the 2017 winner of the Magic Circle's Maskelyne award "for services to British Magic", the same award that her husband received in 1988. [15] In 2001, McGee and Daniels were the subjects of an episode of When Louis Met..., a documentary filmed by Louis Theroux. The episode, titled When Louis Met... Paul and Debbie, was broadcast on BBC Two and subsequently Netflix. [20] Brandreth, Gyles (11 December 2001). "Something weird about Louis". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 26 March 2016. When I first started working as a magician’s assistant in a late-night cabaret show in a small central-London theatre, I couldn’t have anticipated just how much it would change my performing life. Stage magic and illusion had not, unsurprisingly, been part of my training at university and drama school, but they opened up a whole new world of stagecraft, audience interaction, pacing and physicality that helped me unlearn and relearn ways to be and communicate on stage, as well as to direct and focus the attention of audiences.

Marriages England and Wales 1984–2005". Findmypast.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009 . Retrieved 18 February 2012. Edwards, Chris (26 January 2019). " Strictly Come Dancing star Debbie McGee reveals terrifying breast cancer diagnosis: "It scared me to death" ". Digital Spy . Retrieved 31 August 2022. Debbie McGee also known as Seun Soloye Chats to Us about Her Celebrity Wedding to Paul Daniels". Weddingtv.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009 . Retrieved 18 November 2007.Debra Ann McGee (born 31 October 1958) is an English television, radio and stage performer who is best known as the assistant and widow of magician Paul Daniels. McGee is a former ballet dancer and for three years was artistic director of her own ballet company. She presents a Sunday morning show for BBC Radio Berkshire. McGee was a finalist in BBC's 2017 Strictly Come Dancing and a winner of the 2019 Christmas Special, and as of January 2018 is a recurring member of the Loose Women panel. [1] Early life and magic career [ edit ] From 9 December 2016 to 1 January 2017, McGee starred in the pantomime Aladdin as Slave of the Ring at the Grand Opera House, York. [34] She later joined Dougie Squires's Second Generation troupe as a dancer, which involved touring Europe with acts including Chris de Burgh and James Last. After winter work in pantomime, McGee joined Daniels again for his 1980 summer season in Bournemouth. She then performed in his London stage show It's Magic, which opened on 10 December 1980 and which, by the time it closed 14 months later, had become the longest running magic show ever to play in the West End. [5] [ unreliable source?] In 2017, McGee appeared alongside Nigel Havers, Simon Callow and Lorraine Chase in Barging Loving Celebs. a b "About Debbie McGee". Debbie McGee. Archived from the original on 2 May 2007 . Retrieved 17 June 2007.

a b c d Lane, Harriet (2 July 2000). "Spellbound". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 4 December 2013. Debbie McGee signs up to new role on Loose Women after Strictly Come Dancing success". 22 January 2018 – via Daily Express. Later in the summer of that year, she appeared in a fringe theatre show in London called Frank's Closet. [32] a b c Tyrrel, Rebecca (August 2000). "Deb's delight". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007 . Retrieved 18 November 2007.Brennan, Andrew. "The Magic Circle Maskelyne Award". Themagiccircle.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021 . Retrieved 19 December 2017. How female magicians broke through the Magic Circle's boys' club". Newsweek.com. 29 September 2016 . Retrieved 16 December 2017.