Debbie McGee, 60, caught up with Gyles Brandreth, 70, to discuss his charity event, with the latter inviting Debbie to come along live on-air. After discussing the details of his show, he told the radio host: “We would love to have you, you can come and dance and frolic with us.” Debbie replied: “Well, you do a lot of frolicking. I’ve been watching you for many years. “For those who don’t know Janie Dee, she is an Oliver-award winner – I have worked with her quite a few times, she is just amazing, so it really is quite the catch this show isn’t it.”
Gyles replied: “I think it’s going to be fun and we want you there.
“I’m sort of doing the MC’ing and reading a few old stories between the terms but it would be fabulous to have you on to bring a bit of glamour.”
Politely declining, Debbie replied: “I think I am out for lunch unfortunately in Surrey.”
But Debbie soon came unstuck when Gyles told her: “It is actually in the evening.”
Debbie um and aah’d as Gyles added: “I’m making you feel guilty now.”
Seeming awkward, she replied: “You are!”
He responded: “We are virtually sold out as it is, we just wanted somebody regal to sit in the royal box.”
Seeming flattered by his comment, Debbie replied: “You know I’ve got a tiara.”
But not convinced, he asked her: “Have you really got a tiara?”
Debbie replied: “I play fairy in panto so often, I have my own tiara.”
Elsewhere during the show, Debbie let slip a technical secret about the studio.
The former magician’s assistant had missed her cue after her co-star Julian Perkins finished his sports bulletin.
She told him she had not seen the bulletin on the screen before and was surprised by some of the lines.
Debbie said: “Now I know we are not meant to give away technical things, but usually I just sit and listen to you Julian, as you know.”
He cheekily replied: “Well you sit, I don’t know about listening but, yeah.”
Laughing, she continued: “I do listen. And I’ve never looked at your screen because I think most of my listeners at home know in radio studios… because you see it a lot on the telly and things.
“I have a monitor screen and I have a little laptop here. You have a big screen in front of you. I’ve never looked at what your headings are for each section.
“But I loved the fact that the football is footy and then below it was local footy. I don’t know why that made me laugh.”
The Debbie McGee show airs on BBC Radio Berkshire every Sunday from 9am.