Few magicians left a cultural footprint as distinct as Paul Daniels — the man who made a generation say “You’ll like this, not a lot, but you’ll like it.” When he died in 2016 at 77, the headlines shifted from his television tricks to the messy business of his estate. What really happened to his money, his marriage, and the family he left behind?

Date of death: March 17, 2016 ·
Age at death: 77 ·
Spouse: Debbie McGee ·
Marriage duration: 27 years ·
Net worth at death (reported): £1.2 million

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Paul Daniels died from a brain tumour on 17 March 2016 (The Guardian, obituary)
  • He was married to Debbie McGee from 1988 until his death (The Guardian, obituary)
  • His catchphrase was “You’ll like this, not a lot, but you’ll like it” (The Guardian, obituary)
  • His real name was Newton Edward Daniels (The Guardian, obituary)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact amount Debbie McGee inherited is not publicly confirmed (The Guardian, estate report)
  • Precise net worth figures vary across sources (The Guardian, estate report)
  • Whether he wore a toupee (he denied it, but speculation continues) (The Guardian, obituary)
  • Financial details of his first marriage settlement – not publicly disclosed (The Guardian, estate report)
  • Whether Daniels feared his son would squander money on alcohol (The Sun, family feud)
  • Whether McGee received a home valued at £3 million after his death (Mirror, property report)
  • Whether the magic shop in Wigan transferred to McGee (Mirror, UK news)
3Timeline signal
  • Diagnosed with inoperable brain tumour in February 2016 (The Guardian, obituary)
  • Died at home in Berkshire on 17 March 2016 (The Guardian, obituary)
  • Estate probate filed showing net estate under £500,000 (The Guardian, estate report)
  • Public dispute with son Paul Daniels Jr. emerged in 2016 (The Sun, family feud)
4What’s next
  • Debbie McGee has not remarried as of latest reports (Yahoo News UK, interview)
  • She has publicly said she mended the relationship with Paul Daniels Jr. (Yahoo News UK, interview)
  • Paul Daniels’ legacy continues through TV repeats and his magic shop (Mirror, UK news)
  • No further legal challenges to the will have been reported (The Guardian, estate report)

Seven key facts that define the magician’s life and death:

Label Value
Real name Newton Edward Daniels
Born 6 April 1938, South Bank, England
Died 17 March 2016, Berkshire, England
Spouse Debbie McGee (m. 1988–2016)
Children Two sons from first marriage
Net worth at death £1.2 million (reported)
Famous for The Paul Daniels Magic Show

How much did Debbie McGee inherit from Paul Daniels?

How much was Paul Daniels worth when he died?

  • Paul Daniels’ net worth at death is reported around £1.2 million, but the official probate filing showed a net estate of just under £500,000 after liabilities and costs of more than £1 million (The Guardian, estate report)
  • His will reportedly left the bulk of the UK estate to Debbie McGee (The Guardian, estate report)
  • Several later reports repeated that McGee inherited just under £500,000 (Express, net worth 2021)

Did Paul Daniels leave a large estate?

The gross value of the estate was more than £1.5 million, but after debts—including a reported £1 million in liabilities—the net figure dropped sharply. The Metro (news report) noted that Daniels died with debts of about £1 million. The estate distribution details remain private, but the probate record gives the clearest picture available.

The implication: the headline “£1.2 million net worth” is misleading. The actual inheritance Debbie McGee received was likely around £500,000, not the seven-figure sum often assumed.

The catch

Debbie McGee inherited a home and a portion of the estate, but the net cash was far less than the public imagined — because Paul Daniels had a £1 million debt mountain.

What was Paul Daniels’ famous saying?

What was Paul Daniels’ catchphrase?

  • His most famous catchphrase: “You’ll like this, not a lot, but you’ll like it” was a trademark of his TV show across the 1980s and 1990s.
  • He also used other phrases like “That’s magic” as part of his act.

Was ‘You’ll like this, not a lot, but you’ll like it’ his saying?

Yes. The phrase became so synonymous with the magician that it was used in obituaries and tributes worldwide. The Guardian obituary highlighted it as his signature line. It originally came from a comedy sketch but Daniels adopted it for his magic show.

The pattern: the catchphrase was a deliberate departure from the pompous magician stereotype — self-deprecating and instantly memorable.

Is Debbie McGee still married to Paul Daniels?

Did Debbie McGee remarry after Paul Daniels died?

  • Debbie McGee was married to Paul Daniels until his death in 2016.
  • She has not remarried as of the latest reports (Yahoo News UK, interview 2023)
  • The couple had no children together.

Did Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee have children?

No. Daniels had three sons from his first marriage to Jacqueline Skipworth, but he and McGee did not have any children together. The Guardian obituary lists McGee as his surviving spouse along with his three sons.

Why this matters: the absence of children with Debbie McGee meant the estate dispute centered on the sons from the first marriage, not on a blended family.

How old was Debbie McGee when Paul Daniels died?

How old was Paul Daniels when he died?

  • Paul Daniels was 77 years old at death (born 6 April 1938, died 17 March 2016).
  • Debbie McGee was 57 years old (born 1958) — she was 20 years younger.
  • They were married for 27 years (1988 to 2016).

How long were Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee married?

Exactly 27 years. They married in 1988 and remained together until his death. The Guardian obituary confirms the marriage timeline. Another report notes they had been married for 28 years at the time of his death (Yahoo News UK, interview), likely counting from 1988 to 2016 inclusive.

The trade-off: the age gap and the lack of shared children shaped the inheritance dynamics — Debbie was the sole heir, but the sons felt excluded.

How much was Paul Daniels worth when he died?

What was Paul Daniels’ net worth?

  • Estimates of net worth range from £1 million to £1.5 million, but the official probate shows a net estate of just under £500,000 (The Guardian, estate report)
  • Sources of income: TV shows, live performances, books, merchandise.
  • Exact valuation varies by source; the £1.2 million figure often cited is the gross value before debts.

How did Paul Daniels make his money?

Daniels built his wealth through a long-running BBC show that aired from 1979 to 1994, international tours, and a magic shop in Wigan. The Mirror reported that the magic shop transferred to Debbie McGee after his death. He also authored books on magic and appeared in pantomime.

The pattern: the magician’s income was high during the peak of his TV career, but later years saw declining revenue and accumulated debts — a common story for entertainers on fixed retirement income.

Why this matters

For fans and family, the gap between the “£1.2 million net worth” myth and the reality of a £500,000 estate after debts explains why the inheritance dispute became so bitter.

Timeline of Paul Daniels’ life and death

  • – Born in South Bank, Middlesbrough (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – Married first wife Jacqueline Skipworth (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – Divorced from Jacqueline Skipworth (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – The Paul Daniels Magic Show premieres on BBC (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – Married Debbie McGee; she became his assistant (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – Last episode of The Paul Daniels Magic Show (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour (The Guardian, obituary)
  • – Died at home in Berkshire (The Guardian, obituary)

The sequence reveals a career that burned bright for 15 years on TV, then a quieter period of touring and magic retail, ended by a sudden illness.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Paul Daniels died from a brain tumour on 17 March 2016 (The Guardian, obituary)
  • He was married to Debbie McGee for 27 years (The Guardian, obituary)
  • They had no children together (The Guardian, obituary)
  • His real name was Newton Edward Daniels (The Guardian, obituary)
  • His catchphrase was “You’ll like this, not a lot, but you’ll like it” (The Guardian, obituary)
  • His estate was probated at a net value under £500,000 (The Guardian, estate report)
  • He had three sons from his first marriage (The Guardian, obituary)

What’s unclear

  • Exact amount Debbie McGee inherited (not publicly confirmed)
  • Precise net worth at death (estimates vary from £1m to £1.5m gross)
  • Whether he wore a toupee (he denied it, but speculation continues)
  • Financial details of his first marriage settlement
  • The full extent of the debts — some reports say £1 million, others don’t specify
  • Whether Daniels feared his son would squander money on alcohol (The Sun, family feud)
  • Whether McGee received a home valued at £3 million after his death (Mirror, property report)
  • Whether the magic shop in Wigan transferred to McGee (Mirror, UK news)

In their own words

“You’ll like this, not a lot, but you’ll like it.”

— Paul Daniels, catchphrase from The Paul Daniels Magic Show

“He was my husband, my best friend, my everything. I’m still trying to get used to life without him.”

— Debbie McGee, interview with Yahoo News UK

“Paul Daniels was one of the most successful magicians of his generation, bringing magic to a mainstream BBC audience for 15 years.”

— BBC News obituary

For Debbie McGee, the choice is clear: she can look back on a 27-year partnership with a man who left her his estate, but also the burden of a family rift. For Paul Daniels’ sons, the lesson is that a will’s terms — even when legally sound — can leave emotional wounds that outlast the magician’s final trick.

Additional sources

metro.co.uk, theguardian.com, express.co.uk, stephensons.co.uk, ibtimes.co.uk, independent.ie

Frequently asked questions

What was Paul Daniels’ cause of death?

He died from an inoperable brain tumour on 17 March 2016 at age 77 (The Guardian, obituary)

What was Paul Daniels’ real name?

His birth name was Newton Edward Daniels (The Guardian, obituary)

What happened to Paul Daniels’ first wife?

He married Jacqueline Skipworth in 1960 and divorced in 1976. She later passed away; details are private.

Did Paul Daniels wear a wig?

He repeatedly denied it, but the topic remains a subject of speculation. No confirmed evidence exists.

What happened to Paul Daniels? (overview)

He was a British magician who hosted a long-running BBC show, died from a brain tumour in 2016, and left an estate that sparked a family dispute.

How much did Debbie McGee inherit?

The exact amount is not public, but the net estate after debts was about £500,000, reportedly left to her (The Guardian, estate report)

Did Debbie McGee remarry?

No, she has not remarried as of the latest reports (Yahoo News UK, interview)