Paul Daniels’ son: ‘I’ve not had penny of dad’s £1.5m will’
THE son of Paul Daniels is in a row with widow Debbie McGee over the late magician’s £1.5million will.
Paul Junior, 56, claimed yesterday that he has “yet to see a single penny”, seven months after the star’s death in March, at the age of 77.
He also claimed his 57-yearold stepmother has shut down the Paul Daniels Magic Party Shop, which he opened with his father, leaving him jobless and fearful of becoming homeless.
Paul claimed: “This was my business I’d built and slogged away at for six days a week.
“But it wasn’t kept in my name as dad funded it.
“It went to Debbie as part of his estate. He left everything to Debbie.”
He continued: “She promised she would look after me and my brothers. She told me she would help pay my rent and bills afterwards.
“But, like my inheritance, I’m yet to see a single penny.”
Paul opened the shop with his father in Wigan in 2007, selling fancy dress costumes and magic equipment. But Debbie, who became a household name while appearing as the star’s assistant, shut down the business two months after he died.
He said: “She came to the shop in May and said she was year lease on the shop. He said: “It costs £25,000 a year with rent and bills, so how closing it down to save money works I’ll never know.”
He said he and his father had “opened the shop together” although admitted that “it had struggled sometimes”.
He claimed she had originally told him he could keep the shop going, because his father had always enjoyed keeping it alive.
Paul said he hopes to reopen the magic shop one day.
Paul is one of three sons the star had with ex-wife Jacqueline Skipworth.
Regarding his stepmother Debbie, he said: “I’ve put up with her for years for the sake of my dad.
“But now that he’s gone want nothing to do with her.”
The entertainer left his £1.5million UK estate to his wife but it ended up being reduced to £500,000 once debts and costs were calculated.
A spokesman for Debbie McGee said the claims were “inaccurate” but declined to comment further.