Debbie McGee has claimed she thinks late husband Paul Daniels would be giving her constant constructive criticism during her stint on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
The magician’s assistant is one of 15 celebrities taking to the floor on the new series of the BBC ballroom show, after Paul previously appeared as a contestant in 2010.
And while he didn’t exactly get far in the competition (he was eliminated second), Debbie still believes he’d be telling her how she could improve.
Speaking to HuffPost UK and other reporters, Debbie said: “He’d tell me to enjoy it, but he was very good at constructive criticism. He’d listen to my radio shows and when I got home he’d give me notes.
“So I’m sure if he was alive and watching me on ‘Strictly’ he’d have his notes at the end saying like, ‘Oh, you didn’t look down at the camera’.”
Paul died in March 2016, after being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Debbie previously spoke of her wish to follow in his footsteps and do ‘Strictly’.
While the moment Debbie takes the the same dancefloor as Paul did could prove to be bittersweet, she is hoping it will actually be a very positive experience for her.
“Everything I do that relates to Paul is with that wonderful feeling of what an amazing time I had with him, and how that has coloured the rest of my life. I have to go on,” she explained.
“Life is different so I have to find another way to be happy, but through that the whole positive thing about Paul is that we laughed every day and he taught me so much about showbiz, and that’s a real positive thing that’s with me on ‘Strictly’. I feel like he’s always there on my shoulder.”
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ launches on Saturday (9 September) at 7pm on BBC One, when the celebrities will learn who their professional dance partners are.