Debbie McGee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debbie McGee
|
|
|---|---|
Debbie McGee at Wicked 10th Birthday 2016
|
|
| Born |
Debra Ann McGee
31 October 1958 Surrey, England
|
| Occupation | Radio presenter and magician's assistant |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
Debra Ann McGee (born 31 October 1958) is a famous English performer. She has worked in television, radio, and on stage. Many people know her as the assistant and wife of the magician Paul Daniels.
Debbie McGee was once a talented ballet dancer. She even ran her own ballet company for three years. Today, she hosts a radio show every Sunday morning for BBC Radio Berkshire. She was also a finalist in the TV show Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. In 2019, she won the Christmas Special of the show. She has also appeared many times on the TV panel show Loose Women.
Contents
Debbie McGee's Early Life and Magic Career
Debbie McGee was born in 1958 in Kingston upon Thames, England. Her parents were Patrick McGee and Lillian Howes. She has two younger siblings, a sister named Donna and a brother named Robert. When Debbie was a child, her parents owned a small corner shop. Later, her father worked for a company that made gold rings and other jewelry.
How Debbie Started Dancing
Debbie went to Our Lady Immaculate RC Primary School. Then she attended Tolworth Girls' School. When she was 16, Debbie tried out for the Royal Ballet School and got in. After she finished her training, she joined the Iranian National Ballet Company in Tehran. At 19, she became part of the main dance group. Later, she became a soloist, performing on her own.
However, her ballet career ended suddenly because of the Iranian Revolution. She had to leave the country quickly. She returned to the UK with very little money or belongings. She then looked for new work. She auditioned for the Bernard Delfont Organisation. This company put on big summer shows and touring performances.
Meeting Paul Daniels
The Bernard Delfont Organisation found Debbie a job. She would perform on stage with the magician Paul Daniels. This was for his 1979 summer show in Great Yarmouth. She first met Paul Daniels on 23 May 1979. They met during rehearsals for the show in a church hall in London.
After this, Debbie joined a dance group called Second Generation. She toured Europe with famous acts like Chris de Burgh. After performing in a pantomime show in winter, Debbie joined Paul Daniels again. This was for his 1980 summer season in Bournemouth.
She then performed in his London stage show called It's Magic. This show opened on 10 December 1980. It ran for 14 months, becoming the longest-running magic show in London's West End at that time.
Becoming Famous on TV
Debbie McGee became famous in the UK and around the world. This was thanks to her TV appearances with Paul Daniels. A BBC producer saw her on stage and asked her to join The Paul Daniels Magic Show. This show started in 1979 on BBC1.
The show continued until 1994. It often had 15 million viewers in the UK. It was also sold to 43 other countries. Paul Daniels often called Debbie "The lovely Debbie McGee" on his shows. This phrase became very well-known.
Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee got married in Buckinghamshire in April 1988.
Debbie's Achievements in Magic
In October 1991, Debbie McGee made history. She became one of the first female magicians to join The Magic Circle. This is a special group for professional magicians in Britain. To celebrate, she performed a magic trick on TV. Paul Daniels helped her as her assistant, "The Lovely Paul." He was not allowed to speak during her performance!
In 2017, Debbie won the Magic Circle's Maskelyne award. This award is given for "services to British Magic." Her husband, Paul Daniels, had received the same award in 1988.
Debbie McGee's Personal Life
Debbie McGee enjoys playing golf in her free time. She has played in golf events to help raise money for charity.
In January 2019, Debbie shared some personal news. She announced that she had been treated for early breast cancer in 2018. After a small surgery, she was given the "all-clear," meaning she was healthy.
Other Work and Projects
Running a Dance Company
In 2000, Debbie McGee and Paul Daniels started a ballet company. It was called Ballet Imaginaire. They created ballet shows and toured them around the country. The goal of this company was not to make a lot of money. Instead, it was to allow Debbie to achieve her dream. She wanted to produce ballet shows and be recognized as a dancer. The company was active for three years.
Radio Work
In 2004, Debbie presented a two-part radio show called Box Jumpers. This show was about magician's assistants for BBC Radio 4. She also works as a presenter for BBC Radio Berkshire. Since June 2008, she has hosted a regular Sunday morning show there. It runs from 9 AM to noon.
On 12 June 2018, Debbie was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 program My Teenage Diaries.
Television and Film Appearances
In 2001, Debbie McGee and Paul Daniels were featured in a documentary. It was called When Louis Met... and was filmed by Louis Theroux. The episode, titled When Louis Met... Paul and Debbie, was shown on BBC Two and later on Netflix.
Also in 2001, Debbie appeared in another documentary. It was called Paul Daniels in a Black Hole. This show challenged Paul Daniels to become a famous magician in the United States within one week.
Debbie also appeared on comedian Caroline Aherne's talk show, The Mrs Merton Show, in 1995. Caroline Aherne's character, Mrs Merton, famously asked Debbie: "what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" This joke later became known as Britain's second-best one-liner.
Debbie and Paul often joked about this famous line. Paul would say that when they got married, he was not a millionaire. Debbie said that appearing on Mrs Merton helped her become more famous. She said, "after Mrs Merton people started to really recognise me. It gave us great publicity."
In October 2004, Debbie and her husband appeared on The Farm. This was a reality TV show on the channel Five. In May 2006, she appeared on The X Factor: Battle of the Stars. She sang "Let Me Entertain You" with her husband. They were eliminated in the first round.
On 1 April 2007, Debbie appeared on a celebrity version of Wife Swap. She was on the show with her husband, Vanessa Feltz, and her fiancé Ben Ofoedu. In 2008, Debbie appeared on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. On 14 September 2010, she was on the celebrity version of Come Dine with Me.
In 2012, Debbie McGee had a small role as herself in the TV comedy-drama Stella.
In 2017, Debbie appeared with Nigel Havers, Simon Callow, and Lorraine Chase in Barging Loving Celebs.
She also took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2017. In August 2017, it was announced that Debbie would be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional dance partner was Giovanni Pernice. They reached the final but did not win.
In November 2017, she appeared with Chesney Hawkes in Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
In December 2019, Debbie appeared in a Christmas special of the quiz show Tenable All Stars.
Other Activities and Projects
Debbie McGee worked with her husband Paul Daniels in many places around the world. She also worked on writing a book. A cooking and party book written by Debbie, called Dine with Debbie, was sold online. In 2005, she became the face of "Good Boy" chocolates.
In 2006, Debbie and her friend Sue Simons started a modeling and casting agency. It was called Debbie McGee Models.
In February 2009, Debbie and Paul Daniels appeared in Closer magazine. They recreated a famous picture from an Armani advertisement. The original picture featured footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria.
Later that summer, she performed in a small theatre show in London. It was called Frank's Closet.
On 21 August 2013, Debbie took part in the Dead Air Podcast. This was a show hosted by Nick Lee and Rob Oldfield.
From December 2016 to January 2017, Debbie starred in the pantomime Aladdin. She played the role of Slave of the Ring at the Grand Opera House, York.
Debbie is also known for her work with dogs.
Images for kids
-
Debbie McGee at Wicked 10th Birthday 2016
-
Debbie McGee in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Debbie McGee para niños
