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 ] In 2017, McGee appeared alongside Nigel Havers, Simon Callow and Lorraine Chase in Barging Loving Celebs. How female magicians broke through the Magic Circle's boys' club". Newsweek.com. 29 September 2016 . Retrieved 16 December 2017.

On 1 April 2007, McGee appeared along with her husband, Vanessa Feltz, and her fiancé Ben Ofoedu in a celebrity edition of Channel 4's hit reality television show Wife Swap. In 2008 McGee appeared on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. On 14 September 2010, McGee appeared on the celebrity version of Come Dine with Me. 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. 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]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. 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 ] Brandreth, Gyles (11 December 2001). "Something weird about Louis". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 26 March 2016.

Tenable All Stars Christmas Special Episode 1". Press Centre . Retrieved 31 March 2020. [ permanent dead link] Debbie McGee signs up to new role on Loose Women after Strictly Come Dancing success". 22 January 2018 – via Daily Express.In December 2019, McGee appeared in the quiz show Tenable All Stars for a Christmas special. [27] Other activities [ edit ] 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. 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.

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]

A comedy magic show might not seem like the perfect place to challenge the lazy sexism of traditional performative presentations of gender onstage, but in my experience a female assistant can send up and subvert the stereotypes by encouraging the audience to laugh at them. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{