Debbie McGee spoke of her joy as she was crowned winner of the Strictly Christmas Special after recovering from breast cancer this year, saying: “It’s just amazing.”
The performer scored 40 for her dance to Jingle Bells with pro Kevin Clifton and admitted: “Quickstep isn’t my favourite. It’s so fast I wasn’t sure if my cardio would be up to it.
“The dance kills us both – I’m glad to say it’s not just me. The first few times we did it, I was saying to Kevin, ‘I don’t know if I’ll get through to the end of this’.”
Speaking about her win, Debbie said: “I wasn’t expecting it. It’s just amazing but, you know, everybody has been fantastic. I think it’s everybody’s because we all had a great time, everyone did such great dances.” Debbie, 61, had surgery in 2018 after a routine mammogram detected the disease in its very early stages. She did not require a mastectomy.
Debbie, who was married to the late magician Paul Daniels, met with a surgeon before going on the BBC show to make sure she could undergo the intensive training. She was given the all-clear and previously said she wanted to “inspire other women”, saying: “I really want people to go and get checked, because mine was caught so early it was like an injection.”
Joe Sugg scored 40 for his performance to Sleigh Ride with his girlfriend, pro dancer Dianne Buswell, who he met on the show.
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez danced together for the first time after meeting on it in 2017. They scored 35 for their jive to I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
