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] Later in the summer of that year, she appeared in a fringe theatre show in London called Frank's Closet. [32] How female magicians broke through the Magic Circle's boys' club". Newsweek.com. 29 September 2016 . Retrieved 16 December 2017.

Fort, Hugh (16 January 2014). "Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee provide voices Thames Hospicecare "Woofs and Wellies" video". Get Reading . Retrieved 17 November 2015. 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] Debbie McGee signs up to new role on Loose Women after Strictly Come Dancing success". 22 January 2018 – via Daily Express. Marriages England and Wales 1984–2005". Findmypast.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009 . Retrieved 18 February 2012.In January 2019, McGee announced that she had overcome the early stages of breast cancer in 2018, however after a small surgical procedure was given the all-clear. [16] Other work [ edit ] Dance company [ edit ]

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.Find sources: "Debbie McGee"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( May 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) 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. Brennan, Andrew. "The Magic Circle Maskelyne Award". Themagiccircle.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021 . Retrieved 19 December 2017.

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. a b "About Debbie McGee". Debbie McGee. Archived from the original on 2 May 2007 . Retrieved 17 June 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 ]

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?] Stanbridge, Nicola (7 October 2016). "Is magic's glass ceiling vanishing?". Bbc.co.uk . Retrieved 16 December 2017. As the assistant in a comedy magic show, the constant direct engagement with the audience and use of audience volunteers was a total departure from my previous experience as an actor. I learned through trial and error to develop a sense of who might play along if invited on stage. 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. In 2004 McGee presented Box Jumpers, a two-part radio documentary about magician's assistants for BBC Radio 4. [10] [17] She works as a presenter for BBC Radio Berkshire, where, since 8 June 2008, she has hosted a regular Sunday morning show from 9am to noon. [18]