Debbie the Strictly sensation at 58
As Debbie McGee tops leaderboard again at 58,
DEBBIE McGee could cause an upset on Strictly Come Dancing by becoming the oldest contestant to snatch the Glitterball Trophy.
Bookies Coral have slashed the odds on the 58-year-old widow of magician Paul Daniels winning the contest from 7-1 to 5-1 after a series of brilliant performances on the BBC show.
Debbie and partner Giovanni Pernice topped the leader board on Saturday’s Halloween special for the second time with an almost perfect score of 39 out of 40 for their charleston.
Shirley Ballas loved the performance so much that she offered Debbie her Queen of Latin crown telling her: “You were brilliant.”
Fans were blown away by her moves, with one writing on Twitter: “Debbie is just full of surprises. Amazing movement, high-kicks and a fantastic routine. Scores well deserved.”
Debbie is chasing frontrunners JLS singer Aston Merrygold, 29, and X Factor star Alexandra Burke, 29, who both share odds of 5-2. Former Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson, 32, is 4-1 to win the glitterball.
“Debbie is starting to scare the bookmakers,” admitted Coral’s John Hill.
Zoe Ball, who hosts the Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, called Debbie “the bendiest lady in Britain”.
Debbie herself said: “That’s a bit of an overstatement but maybe I’m the bendiest 58-year-old, who knows?
“I am very flexible but also had a bit of help from Giovanni yanking my leg up.”
Since it began in 2004, Strictly has never been won by anyone over 40. The oldest winner was TV presenter Chris Hollins who was 38 when he won in 2009.
There have been many older competitors including TV’s Esther Rantzen and Jimmy Tarbuck. But veteran performers are almost always knocked out in the early rounds.
In 2010 Debbie’s husband Paul was 72, and the second person to be voted off, with then head judge Len Goodman describing him as “diabolical”.
When older competitors have done well, it has been for their novelty value rather than prowess on the dancefloor.
Political journalist John Sergeant, 73, was dubbed “the dancing pig” and infuriated the judges who slammed him every week only to see him triumph in the public vote.
His odds shortened from 100-1 to 10-1 but he pulled out in 7th place in 2008 because he felt he was spoiling the show.
Former MP and Daily Express columnist Ann Widdecombe, 70, was also adored by viewers in 2010 for her two left feet and refusal to take herself seriously.
TV chef Simon Rimmer became the latest celebrity to be knocked out last night while fellow TV presenter Michaela Strachan accidently revealed his fate on his own show hours before the contest aired.
Simon and partner Karen Clifton lost the dance-off to singer Mollie King and her partner AJ Pritchard.
But Michaela blurted the outcome of the show, which is filmed straight after the live show on Saturday, when she appeared as a guest on Sunday Brunch, Simon’s Channel 4 cooking and chat show. She told Simon, 54: “I’m amazed you got to week six – oh, did I say that out loud? That was meant to be in my head.”
Viewers complained on Twitter. One wrote: “Has Michaela Strachan revealed a result? Cue stilted smiles of presenters and other guests in studio.”
Simon, who also presents Tricks Of The Restaurant Trade on Channel 4, has been the bookies’ favourite for elimination for weeks, but managed to survive two dance-offs.
When asked by presenter Tess Daly if he had enjoyed his time on the show, he said: “Strictly has been the most amazing experience.”
DEBBIE McGEE goes from strength to strength on Strictly with many expressing surprise that at 58 she is so agile. However, ballet dancers often enjoy long careers. Dame Margot Fonteyn only came into her true greatness at the age of 42 when she partnered Rudolf Nureyev. The Italian ballerina Alessandra Ferri still performs at the highest level at 54.
Debbie could be a winner because she is good not “despite” her age.