Daniels is diagnosed with terminal cancer
Messages of support f lood in for legendary magician as family reveal the shock diagnosis of a brain tumour
MESSAGES of support from friends and fans of Paul Daniels flooded in last night after he revealed he has terminal brain cancer.
The TV magician, 77, and his wife Debbie McGee, 57, were given the shocking diagnosis in the past few days, it is understood.
The family of the father-of-three gave details of the condition in a short statement via his publicist, saying: ‘We can confirm that one of our greatest magicians and entertainers of all times, Paul Daniels, has sadly been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. On behalf of Paul, Debbie and their families, we thank you for your kind concerns and support at this sad time and ask that their privacy continues to be respected.’
The star’s nephew and fellow magician, James Phelan, tweeted: ‘I have no words, I am totally heartbroken.’
Daniels became a much-loved TV entertainer with his Paul Daniels Magic Show – which ran on BBC1 from 1979 to 1994. His magic skills and self-deprecating humour – summed up by his catchphrase, ‘You’ll like this. Not a lot… but you’ll like it’ – helped him regularly attract prime-time audiences of 15 million in Britain. The show was sold to 43 countries.
Co-starring with his assistant and wife Debbie, the series gave a new lease of life to magic on TV and broke with the staid traditions of conjurors of the past. One of its most popular items was the Bunko Booth in which Daniels exposed the techniques of confidence tricksters.
Within minutes of his cancer diagnosis being made public, fellow entertainers and fans began posting messages of support on social media sites.
Radio DJ Tony Blackburn said: ‘Such sad news about Paul Daniels who is a lovely and talented man. My thoughts are with you, Debbie.’
Illusionist Dynamo, real name Steven Frayne, posted his thoughts on his Instagram account, saying: ‘Sending my love and respect to Paul, Debbie and all the family!’
Mark Linsey, acting director of BBC Television said: ‘We’re sorry to hear this sad news and our thoughts are with Paul and his family.’
Daniels set his heart on becoming a magician when he was just 11 and developed his catch phrase while performing on the club circuit. He came second on TV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1970 and landed a regular spot on the ITV variety show The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, which was presented by Bernard Manning.
But his big break came in 1979 when he launched The Paul Daniels Magic Show on BBC1. The show was an instant hit and Dan- iels became one of the best-paid entertainers on television.
He went on to present a string of quiz programmes, including Odd One Out, Every Second Counts and Wipe Out. But in 1994, the BBC took the controversial decision to axe the show on the grounds it appeared too old-fashioned.
Daniels continued to make regular TV appearances, and in 2010 he took part on Strictly Come Dancing, partnering Ola Jordan until their exit in week three.
Offscreen, Daniels remains busy on several fronts. He owns a magic shop and fancy dress outfitters and is an avid user of social media, with his own website and Twitter page.
He has continued to perform his magic show live and last year appeared in a pantomime production of Aladdin in Ipswich.
While many brain tumours are ‘benign’ – meaning non-cancerous – and can be operated on, those that are cancerous are often identified only when it is too late.
Daniels has spoken openly about death before, saying it doesn’t worry him as it’s ‘just like going to sleep’.
He told The Guardian three years ago: ‘It doesn’t bother me because when your time’s up, your time’s up. Some people can’t take that.’
Daniels has always been the first to make himself the butt of the joke, and self-mockingly describes himself on Twitter as ‘International sex symbol and bodybuilder and comedy magician. Avid Twitter user married to the lovely Debbie McGee’.
Although his show attracted huge audiences, the single TV moment for which Daniels is perhaps best remembered came during Mrs Merton’s 1995 interview with Debbie. The BBC2 chat show host – the comedy creation of Caroline Aherne – cheekily asked Debbie: ‘What first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?’ reflecting the public’s enduring fascination with the couple’s 20year age gap.
The pair, who wed in 1988, found themselves in the public eye in 2001 when Louis Theroux made a fly-on-the-wall documentary about them. He filmed the couple as they tried to re-establish Debbie’s former career as a ballet dancer.
In a poignant moment in the programme, Daniels recalled the day he found out he had been axed by the BBC. He said: ‘ They had a change of policy. I don’t think it was anything personal. They just decided not to do a light entertainment show.
‘They didn’t break it to me at all. I found out from a dress designer at a party one time. I don’t think I felt ill-used, I just felt that they were extremely rude.’
‘Death doesn’t worry me …it’s like going to sleep’