Paul was diagnosed with a brain tumour a few months ago and they both knew the rest of their lives together would be short.
They made the most of what time remained and Debbie revealed that, in his final days, Paul didn’t realise he was going to die.
The cruel illness meant that although he was aware of his surroundings, his brain couldn’t really process new information.
Debbie, who was married to Paul for 28 years spoke of how she had a “fairytale life”, and the two of them remained devoted to one another right up until the end.
She will be utterly bereft and feeling as though she has lost half of herself.
But although she might look fragile, Debbie is made of strong stuff.
Most dancers have a steel core and Debbie trained as a ballerina, the most difficult discipline of all.
It’s a tough profession and you need to be disciplined and with the constitution of a feisty Shetland pony.
When Paul was first diagnosed, she cried all night and then calmly decided to put on her make-up, paint a smile on her face and make his final days as happy as possible.
She squeezed every drop of delight from an impossibly sad situation and I salute her bravery.
Debbie was once famously asked on the Mrs Merton chat show by host Caroline Aherne: “So what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?”
The couple weren’t offended and actually laughed at the comment.
Anyone who knows them was always well aware this was a love match and Debbie could not have been further away from a conventional gold-digger.
Their type of entertainment is now deemed rather old fashioned, but for a long time during the ’70s and ’80s he was Mr Saturday Night, commanding the sorts of audience numbers that Simon Cowell can only dream of.
Debbie was always by his side, during the TV shows, on stage and at home. They were simply inseparable soul mates.
The couple spent his final days laughing, watching TV, listening to their favourite songs and eating ice cream.
We all have to go and that’s not a bad way to shuffle off your mortal coil.
Debbie will never get over losing her Paul, but I hope the good memories and the happiness they shared will comfort her in the years to come.
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