Strictly eases Debbie’s pain

WHICH married actor paid two women at a massage parlour to entertain him while promoting his latest project at the Toronto International Film Festival? DEBBIE McGEE says she is the happiest she has been since the death of Paul Daniels and credits her stint on Strictly for that.

She also reveals that her taking part in the show was one of Paul’s wishes following his appearance on the programme in 2010.

“It really is the first time since I lost Paul that I actually feel genuinely happy,” says the 58-year-old, whose magician husband died from a brain tumour in March last year. “I’m always giggling and having a good time but until now there was this knot in my stomach.”

But that’s all changed since she started rehearsals: “The last three weeks on Strictly… everyone is so lovely on every level. I love all the other contestants – they make you feel so good and wanted.”

And her relationship with dance partner Giovanni Pernice also seems to be doing the trick, with Debbie adding: “We are really plugged in. We have a connection. We feel really comfortable in each other’s company. There’s nothing that’s difficult. We’ve got the same sense of humour. We laugh a lot. We did a radio interview and he said, ‘The thing is, with Debbie, I look at her and she knows what I mean’ and I think that explains how well we get on. We’ve already melded together.”

The pair will dance the Paso Doble in this weekend’s live launch episode on Saturday at 6.25pm on BBC One.