Debbie McGee has opened up about the final weeks with her husband, magician Paul Daniels, who died in 2016 after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour. Married for 28 years, the Strictly star cared for him at home after doctors gave him less than two months to live.
Diagnosis and Hardest Phone Call
Recalling the moment she learned of the diagnosis, Debbie told The Telegraph: "When the neurosurgeon asked: 'Do you want to know what's wrong?' he replied, 'No, tell Deb,' and left the room." Paul chose not to know his condition initially, leaving Debbie to break the news to his three sons. "It's the hardest phone call you can ever make," she admitted.
Paul's condition, a glioblastoma, was incurable. After considering medical treatment with no guarantees, Debbie and Paul's sons decided against it.
Final Weeks at Home
In his final weeks, Debbie looked after Paul at their home near Henley-on-Thames. "He got to see all his boys and his two grandchildren. The weather was really good, so we would walk down the garden to the water and he would have a Magnum every afternoon, because he loved ice cream. I have happy memories of that time," she revealed.
Despite the heartbreak, Debbie stayed positive. "For the time he was at home – a month and five days – I was cheery. I put my makeup on and did my hair every day, and we shared loads of jokes. I just kept saying to myself, 'Don't look forward and don't look back; concentrate on this minute.'" She admitted she sometimes cried when Paul wasn't around.
Paul Learns the Truth
Paul eventually asked to know his diagnosis after a fall in the bathroom. Debbie said: "I said, 'Well, darling, do you really want to know?' and he said yes, so I replied, 'You've got a brain tumour.' I don't know whether he was ever able to absorb that information."
Paul Daniels passed away on March 17, 2016, at age 77. Since then, Debbie has continued living in their Wargrave, Berkshire mansion, but redecorated the bedroom where he died. She has taken on new projects, including appearances on Radio Berkshire and Loose Women, and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. She is now a patron for Brain Tumour Research.
