Who is Paul Daniels?
Paul Daniels is probably the most famous magician in the UK. In the 1970’s he had the longest running TV show which spanned nearly 20 years. During this time he inspired many young children to learn magic and roughly 90% of magicians have at some point in their lives owned a Paul Daniels Magic kit.
On April 2nd 1988 Paul Daniels did the honourable thing and married Debbie McGhee ON MY BIRTHDAY.
How good is Paul Daniels?
Paul Daniels is a member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star. He is highly respected throughout the magic fraternity as a great thinker. His theory of KISSATIT Keep it Simple Stupid And Think It Through is known the world over. This was evident when he was on the same show as an escapologist who tried to make an escape from a straight jacket, whilst hanging upside down, while it was on fire and who knows what other parameters he used to complicate things. Paul Daniels Kept it simple and did a card trick. After the show everyone was talking about the card trick.
His most famous trick is the cup and ball trick (which Woody performs) He made it into a 5 minute set and performed it at super speed for ultimate impact.
My favourite stories about Paul Daniels
After a show he would go into a toilet cubicle with a pencil and some paper and would write down what people were saying about his show. This is how he got honest reviews.
He gave up drinking because whilst performing on a cruise ship (under the influence of alcohol) he went over the side of the ship in pitch darkness, climbed down the side of the boat and stuck a playing card to the porthole. Then returned to the room where the performance was being held and did card through porthole.
He has slept with over 300 women and a few years ago there was a rumour he had kissed a student. There was a photograph that the girl claimed to be real but Paul Daniels claimed to be false.
There is a joke going around about a magician where the punch line is
Magician “That’s not a trick”
Spectator: “I know, it’s magic”
This actually happened when a Scottish magician borrowed Debbie McGhee in a show in Dundee.