Debbie McGee thinks her late husband Paul Daniels would have "loved" that she smooched her ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ partner Giovanni Pernice live on television.
The 58-year-old performer set tongues wagging when she planted a huge "smacker" on the lips of the Italian choreographer, 27, at the end of her Paso Doble last weekend, but she’s convinced her spouse – who passed away last year from a brain tumour – would have been happy with her spontaneous lip-locking because it’s "show business".
Speaking on ‘This Morning’ on Thursday (28.09.17), she said: "He would have loved it. And the fact that I have caused – or seemed to have caused – this furore with the kiss on Saturday night, he just loved show business and that was real show business. I know he will be look down on me and thinking: ‘Ok, yeah.’ He would have been happy."
Not only did the kiss come as a huge shock to viewers, but Giovanni hadn’t actually choreographed it and was taken aback when she grabbed his face and pecked him.
She explained: "In rehearsal I just gently caressed his cheek and gave him a gentle push [during that part of the dance], but actually I didn’t really realise until I watched it back how hard I pushed him. It was a bit of a smacker, he was so great."
And Debbie is determined to make the most of her time in the competition – how ever long she’s there -because she’s wanted to do the show since Paul took part in 2010.
She said: "I’ve always wanted to do ‘Strictly’. I loved watching Paul doing it and he loved his time on it. But what I hadn’t realised was the whole camaraderie behind the scenes. It’s such a happy show to work on and you feel like a princess. Everyone is lovely."
However, the blonde star is hoping to do better than her late spouse – who was eliminated from the competition after just two weeks – did with Ola Jordan.
She said recently: "Paul would love the fact I have been asked to be part of ‘Strictly’. I’m hoping to last a little longer [than he did]. But he did really well as he did have two left feet and he couldn’t hear the music but he managed to keep in time."
Debbie McGee: Paul would’ve liked TV kiss
