Channel 5 reflect on the magical career of Paul Daniels

One to Watch: Channel 5 celebrate the life and times of late magician Paul Daniels.

Paul Daniels a name is synonymous with Saturday night BBC One entertainment, great banter, catchphrases ‘You’ll like it, not a lot, but you’ll like it‘ and simply spell-binding illusions. Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, he earned his mantle as Britain’s greatest ever magician.

During his 15-year reign as the king of prime-time telly on both ITV and the beeb, he brought magic to the masses; whether it was grand set-pieces such as the disappearing elephant; shocking stunts such as the infamous Iron Maiden, or impossible sleight-of-hand like chop cup, he entertained us, confounded us and won the nation’s hearts.

Daniels was born Newton Edward Daniels in Middlesbrough, in Teesside, and first ventured as a professional into the world of showbiz via the tough North East workingmens clubs. Here he found it was handy to have comedy mixed with magic in order to keep rowdy and disruptive, sometimes worse for drink, club patrons in their place. Its indeed how his catchphrase “You’ll like this… not a lot, but you’ll like it.” came into existence. He’d began his fascination with magic aged eleven when, while studying at Redcar’s Sir William Turner grammar school, he found an old magic tricks book at a school pals house. By the age of 14 he was performing small-scale local shows at a Youth Club.

In 1970, eleven years after his first social club act performance, his routine had been seen by television executives and he was urged to audition for Thames Television’s talent show Opportunity Knocks – where he made his broadcasting debut. He was later signed up to appear on fellow ITV series The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club from Granada in Manchester, appearing as a regular across its later series. He also guest starred on The David Nixon Magic Show (ITV/Thames TV) and was later given his own ITV series, Paul Daniels’ Blackpool Bonanza in 1978 (Granada TV).

It was 1978 that he was lured over to the BBC where he first presented and performed magic in For My Next Trick. The following year the series was re-branded as The Paul Daniels Magic Show running until 1994. In the gaps between the TV series’ Daniels also continued to work live with summer season stage shows across the UK. In 1979 during rehearsals for one such gig he met future wife Debbie McGee who would later become his main assistant in both the stage and television shows. They married in 1988, he’d earlier, before meeting Debbie, divorced his first wife Jacqueline Skipworth whom he married in 1960 and had three children with; Paul, Gary and Martin. Martin would also take up magic, performing with his dad on the television magic show, as well as having his own successful career.

And tonight, Channel 5 take a look back through Paul’s life in magic. From those humble Middlesbrough beginnings, where the 12 year old Daniels learns his first magic trick from a book, to the bright lights of the BBC – the documentary revisits some of his best-loved tricks, screens never-before-seen archive footage and hears from those nearest and dearest to him as Channel 5 reveals the man behind the magic.

We also hear how a teenage David Copperfield was blown away by Paul’s live performance, Penn & Teller became firm friends, and why Lance Burton hailed him the ‘rock star of magic’. Featuring interviews with his widow Debbie McGee, presenter and magician Stephen Mulhern, magicians David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, friend and presenter Gloria Hunniford and illusionist Troy.

In addition to his trick shows Daniels also became a popular television personality; first appearing as a regular panelist on the Terry Wogan hosted game show Blankety Blank. This lead to Paul being offered his own quiz to host Odd One Out, and later presided over fellow prime time offerings Every Second Counts and Wipeout. When Wipeout moved to daytime Bob Monkhouse took over the hosting duties. Daniels however continued to be seen on television with guest stints on Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes, Celebrity Wife Swap, The X Factor Battle of the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing to name a few.

Paul also worked behind the scenes on several high profile theatrical productions designing the special effects including for the stage production of Cats and also The Phantom Of The Opera. He was also commissioned to create magical effects for The Nutcracker by the English National Ballet. Across his career he supported many charities and in his final weeks a fundraising website had been set up under his name to raise money for good causes.

Daniels passed away on Thursday the 17th of March 2016 at his home in Berkshire with wife Debbie McGee and his family by his side, he had been suffering from an incurable tumour on the brain.

Paul Daniels: My Life in Magic, Friday 20th October at 10pm on Channel 5