Debbie McGee opened up to the Loose Women panel on Monday about being alone after the death of husband Paul Daniels

Debbie McGee joined Loose Women on Monday to discuss her latest TV project as she opened up on feeling lonely after the death of her husband and magician Paul Daniels.

The Strictly Come Dancing star visited Northern Ireland for the BBC ‘s B&B by the Sea but admitted she struggled at first with the idea of going on holiday on her own.

She told Denise Welch, Janet Street-Porter, Gloria Hunniford and host Kaye Adams : “One of the things I was a little bit concerned about is I’ve never holidayed on my own. I’ve got used to being on my own but I don’t choose it, it was thrust upon me.

“I’m so lucky I’ve got a close family, I’ve got lovely friends that invite me on holiday with them but I’ve never chosen to go on my own so I was a bit worried, although you’re with a film crew, of waking up and it just being me.”

“For all those years I always had my rock there, Paul, who woke me up with a joke most mornings so I wondered how I’d feel waking up in this place that was right out in the sticks really on my own.”

The Loose Women panel quizzed Debbie on how she has learnt to live with grief after the heartbreaking loss of her husband.

“What’s kept me going is how lucky I was to have him in my life,” she remarked.

The panelists went on to talk about how she pushed herself out of her comfort zone to join the Strictly Come Dancing line-up in 2017.

Debbie married Paul, 21 years her senior, in 1988 ( 
Image:
SWNS.com)

Paul died in 2016 aged 77 following a battle with brain cancer ( 
Image:
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The widow finished as a runner-up with Ballroom and Latin dancer Giovanni Pernice.

Reflecting on the experience, she revealed she was nervous to let people see the real her away from her late husband before praising the experience.

“People had just seen me as Paul’s sidekick and I allowed him to be the [centre of attention],” she added.

Meanwhile, Debbie previously admitted she hadn’t ruled out finding love again if the right person came along.

She told the How To Be 60 with Kaye Adams: ‘If I met somebody that I had real charisma with, then I’m not going to say no and push them away. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to live and I believe in enjoying every day as much as you can. But until now I just haven’t met that person. So, if there’s somebody out there, I believe life will bring me to them at the right time, but I don’t feel there’s a void. I love my life so I’m just enjoying each day for what it brings me.”