Whether you were a fan of Debbie McGee and Giovanni in Strictly Come Dancing, or you know her from her days as her husband Paul Daniels' assistant in the 80s, the lovely Debbie McGee has become a household name in the UK. Find out more about how Paul's death affected Debbie, her time on Strictly and her breast cancer scare.
The death of Debbie's husband, Paul Daniels
Debbie McGee's late husband Paul Daniels died from an incurable brain tumour in 2016 at the age of 77. The couple were married for almost 28 years before his sad death which left Debbie devastated.
Following the sad loss of Paul, Debbie admits sometimes she feels so upset she feels like she “can’t cry anymore”, admitting she still breaks down when talking about Paul.
When talking about her emotions following his death, Debbie says she often gets upset in private.
"I'm not very good at crying in front of people so, most of the time, I can choose my moments when I recall Paul and think about him. That's usually somewhere where I'm on my own, a hotel room or at home, and the floodgates open.
"I get to a point where I actually think I can't cry anymore, and you have to say to yourself, 'Right, pull yourself together, go and have a cup of tea. Occasionally, someone will say something and you can't help it, you just cry. You're emotional."
And although the BBC Radio Berkshire presenter, Debbie, still misses Paul, she feels that she is finally moving on from her devastating grief. She said: "I'm fine now. I've really got to a really good place.
"I just think the last two and a half years were so, so stressful. I'd never dealt with anything as big as that before."
Here's a young Debbie McGee performing with husband magician Paul Daniels in one of their many magic shows.
Debbie McGee in Strictly Come Dancing
To help distract herself from Paul’s passing, Debbie has taken on many projects, such as Strictly Come Dancing.
In August 2017, it was announced that Debbie would be appearing on the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing where she was partnered with professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice. Every Saturday night, Strictly star Debbie did incredibly well in the series and reached the final but were beaten by Joe McFadden and Katya Jones.
Watch Debbie and Strictly partner Giovanni dance the Argentine Tango...
Debbie made a comeback to Strictly in the 2019 Christmas special with partner Kevin Clifton where they wowed the judges with their Jingle Bells quickstep to win the festive trophy, scoring a perfect 40.
Debbie McGee's breast cancer scare
In 2019, Debbie revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and that she had surgery to remove two tumours after doctors found cancerous tissue in her left breast during a routine screening.
Debbie believes her cancer was triggered by stress and grief after the death of Paul. She told The Sun: "Stress, I think caused mine. I've never been through the stress I've been through since I lost Paul.
"Grief hits you in so many ways you're not expecting. It's not all about sadness."
Speaking about her ordeal, Debbie revealed a close friend of hers, who lost her husband four years ago, has also been diagnosed with cancer and both of them believe the stress from the death of their spouses is to blame.
Debbie was diagnosed in October and after successful surgery felt like the "luckiest person in the world" as doctors gave her the all-clear
Spill the tea with Debbie Mcgee
Did you know that Debbie also has her own podcast? Recorded in her kitchen, listeners can hear Debbie have a cuppa and natter with some of her famous friends including Giovanni Pernice, Christopher Biggins and Kevin Clifton to name a few.
Find out how you can listenhere.
Is Debbie McGee in a relationship?
While Debbie has not confirmed whether or not she is currently in a relationship or not, in 2019 she told The Sun: "I would say I’m open to finding love again. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But how wonderful if it did."
How old is Debbie McGee?
Born October 31, 1958, Debbie is 62.
Debbie McGee on Come Dine With Me
In 2019, Debbie appeared on the celebrity version of Come Dine with Me where she shared some saucy details about her marriage to Paul with her guests.
In a game of true or false. Debbie surprised the celebrities when she recalled laying naked on her bed waiting for Paul with a 'do not disturb' mask on her eyes and a 'disturb' mask across her privates.
Debbie McGee’s early life
Born in Kingston-upon Thames to Patrick McGee and Lillian Howes, Debbie has two younger siblings, a sister called Donna and a brother named Robert. Her parents ran a corner shop until her father began working for a large manufacturing firm making gold rings and other jewellery.
At age 16, Debbie won herself a place at the Royal Ballet School and after graduating she joined the Iranian National Ballet company. Her career here was brought to a bitter halt following the Iranian revolution when she was forced to return to the UK. Her talent for ballet certainly showed in Strictly.
It was shortly after this she joined Paul Daniels as his assistant, a role which would remain until his sad death. During this period, she became the first female member of the magic circle and went on to win the same services to British Magic award Paul once won.
Is Debbie McGee on Twitter?
Yes - you can follow Debbie on Twitter @thedebbiemcgee
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