We Like Him.........Quite A Lot.

BN1 Meets Paul Daniels

Ahead of what some might feel is a somewhat surprising appearance at the Brighton Comedy Festival, BN1’s Andy Hollis braved naked pictures of Debbie McGee and the threat of a rerun of Wife Swap to tackle Paul Daniels as to what spell he’s expecting to cast on his audience this time –

BN1 – Paul, you’re the picture of longevity and something of a national treasure. A little like Brucie – what’s the secret of these lengthy careers – it can’t just be about a memorable catchphrase, surely?

PD – It sounds like you want me stuffed and put in the V&A! The secret to longevity is to keep breathing.....no, really I just enjoy myself, as does Bruce. I’m really just getting paid to play with my toys. You know, my mother was 95 last week and is still going strong. Bad news that is for audiences, I’m going to be around a lot longer.

BN1 – The catchphrase (“You’ll like it....but not a lot”) came from pretty early on in your career didn’t it?

PD – Yes, it was actually first used in Bradford where I was performing to a working mens club. Some fella in the crowd shouted “I don’t like your suit”, and me being a big mouth responded “That’s a shame, I like yours.............but not a lot”. It just kind of stuck from there really, and it’s even part of dictionary slang now.

BN1 – So how do we describe Paul Daniels these days? Entertainer, magician, comedian, all-rounder?

PD – International sex symbol and bodybuilder......

At this point BN1 takes a deep breath, tries to stop the images in its brain, and mops it’s proverbially fevered brow.....

BN1 – The Paul Daniels Magic Show ran from 1979 through to 1994 – it was a staple family show for much of the 80’s, but it’s popularity dipped in the early 90’s. Why do you think that was?

PD – No, no. It didn’t actually lose popularity. It was a BBC thing. It’s a policy that Bruce Forsythe actually pointed out. You get the Programme Controller and if a programme is popular he can’t change it at all which impacts their ego. So they start changing the times of the programme so people think “Oh, it’s not on this week”. They did that with my show deliberately. Alan Yentob lost the BBC customers and we then make him a Lord! How did that happen? He was only interested in the arts and classical programmes and he deliberately broke down the BBC viewing figures......he said once that I didn’t like him because he sacked me. Not true. I didn’t like him before that......!

BN1 – The culture of celebrity really began to kick in during the 90’s and the image conscious generation of television started. What’s your take on the David Blane’s and Derren Brown’s who sit at the forefront of magic on TV now?

PD – Blane is brilliant for the studios. You just stick him on the street and you don’t need to pay a studio cost. That’s why the stations like him. Did you know, the BBC are getting rid of Blue Peter because they can’t afford the studio. Appalling! Look at the popular shows now – we’ve got wall to wall cookery and house making programmes. They’re cheap – that’s why we have them – there’s no set. The accountants are now running the show. They’re not getting the viewing figures on Derren or David’s shows now you know. Mind you, Derren has a great live show. You should try and get to his live shows for sure.

BN1 – You’ve really trod the televisual boards since – from X Factor through to Strictly, Louis Theroux and even Wife Swap. What was your favourite experience?

PD – I don’t really have favourites. I enjoy the range of doing these things. I even acted in plays just because it’s a different thing to do and it pushes me. I left my 9-5 job so I could work in these theatres, arenas and halls. I love my life, I really do.

BN1 – Does it frustrate you then when people sneer at that – it’s a UK thing to do, we feel uncomfortable around other people’s happiness.

PD – The national press, well they like to have a pop at the fact that me and Debbie are happily married. If they concentrated more on happy marriages there’d probably be far less problems. I see nothing wrong in promoting a good life.

BN1 – Is there anything you regret doing?

PD – No. There’s no point. I don’t look back.

BN1 – You were awarded the prestigious Magician of the Year by the Hollywood Academy – the first person outside of the US to do so. Does it frustrate you that perhaps your magic isn’t taken as seriously as it should be?

PD – That was an honour and a half, I tell you. Magic as a whole is what it always was. Some people don’t like to be fooled. I actually don’t like the term “fool us” – I want to baffle people and make them laugh. It’s a peculiarity – when you’re growing up you instinctively love magic. Then in your later teens your brain remembers you loved it as a kid so you think it’s just for kids when it really, really isn’t. Once you get over 25 you start to like it again.

BN1 – One of the real eye openers in your autobiography was you claim to have had sexual relations with more than 300 women.......that was some going seeing as you’ve been married twice!?

PD – No, no, it was only 300 because on some nights I was busy!!!! No, you mustn’t take that out of context. That was spread over 20 years touring town to town. There was one night stands everywhere. They were different times. It would be barmy to do that now with HIV. AS soon as the pill became popular, women started to do all the things they said were disgusting about men – well, I didn’t want to disappoint!

BN1 – Does Anne Robinson still dislike you ?

PD – I do hope so!

BN1 – So just to conclude, moving on to the show “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow” – what should we expect to see in Brighton?

PD – Well it should be very interesting and great fun. It’s an 80 minute, continuous show. There’s no interval. It’s mad and funny. People used to laugh at Tommy Cooper when he got things wrong. People laugh at me when I get it right.............

Paul Daniels at Brighton Dome 13th October