Hello and welcome to the Witness History Podcast from the BBC World Service with me Jill

Kursley. I'm taking you back to 1978 to Iran when the start of the

revolution meant changes for everyone there. When we were looking at the

buildings around us were all on fire. Yes you think what's going to happen to you,

but I think as a human being your brain doesn't let you think I might die.

That's Debbie McGee who was best known for being the assistant and widow of British magician Paul Daniels. Paul was a popular entertainer, particularly in the 1980s.

The pair were regularly seen on prime time Saturday night TV shows.

Debbie trained at the Royal Ballet School, one of the leading classical ballet schools in the United Kingdom.

When the Iranian National Ballet came to London to audition for dancers for their company, Debbie was successful and travelled to Iran in

1978.

I'd never been anywhere that was anything like it.

The drive from the airport to Tehran, you know, was through the desert and

houses that weren't like any houses I'd ever seen except in the Bible or on TV.

Debbie remembers that the Iranian Ballet Company was made up of about 30% Iranians

and the rest were dancers from countries around the world.

The company had loads of money. We had all the top American

choreographers. The sets were flown in from different places and the costumes

were beautiful and the first ballet I performed in was Sleeping Beauty and I was playing one of the fairies

so it was a big opportunity for a 19 year old.

Debbie shared a ground floor apartment in Tehran, which came elaborately furnished.

What stood out in her memory was that the apartment came with 24 different dinner services.

Her and her flatmates counted them all. She enjoyed her life

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