Paul Daniels wanted Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah played at his funeral

'He always told people to sing that when they were sad,' says Debbie McGee

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah is a much-loved classic from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South which is so well-known it is practically synonymous with Disney itself (PA)

Paul Daniels requested mourners at his funeral be treated to an upbeat playlist including Disney classic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, wife Debbie McGee has revealed.

Mcgee said the legendary magician asked for both Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - from the 1946 movie Song of the South - and Sammy Davis Jr’s Mr Bojangles to be played to those saying their final farewells.

“He always told people to sing that when they were sad,” she told The Mail on Sunday.

McGee also spoke candidly about the television star and entertainer’s final days before he died at his Berkshire home on Thursday, just weeks after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

“Two days before he died, his voice was going and he whispered: 'I love you'. It was the last thing he said,” the 57-year-old said.

Born Newton Edward Daniels in 1938 in South Bank, Middlesborough, Daniels came from a humble background and honed his magic skills in working men’s clubs.

Before long he became a pillar of national television, making his debut on talent series Opportunity Knocks in 1970 and then presenting the BBC's Paul Daniels Magic Show for 15 years.

Famed for his off-the-cuff wisecracks and trademark catchphrases, the entertainer regularly amassed audiences of 15 million and became the UK's most well-known magician of the past half-century.

Daniels married his assistant McGee in 1988 when she was 20 and he was 40.

McGee recalls the moment she found out about his inoperable brain tumour at the Royal Berkshire hospital.

She said: “Paul said he didn’t want to know what was wrong with him then. He told the doctor, 'Just tell Deb'. The consultant showed me the scan.

"I am always a “cup overflowing” kind of person but I remember thinking, 'I can’t take this in'. But it was there on the screen, he had a brain tumour – the most aggressive type you can get.

“The consultant said he didn’t believe it was operable. I broke down but then my Debbie mode kicked in. I thought, 'Right we’re just going to get on with this'."

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.