As the only magician to have received all the top awards of the famed London Magic Circle, Paul Daniels says he feels no need to compete with today’s crop of young television stars who are yet to come up with a new trick.

“There are more styles of magic than there are styles of singers, and it all depends upon which ‘singer’ you like. “One thing I really would recommend is to go and see the performer live before you make your mind up as to whether you like them or not. Live is best.”

The 76-year-old, who fell in love with magic aged 11 after reading a book titled How to Entertain at Parties, burst onto our screens in 1979 with future wife Debbie McGee and went on to top the ratings and become one of the most successful TV magicians of the 20th Century.

Looking back over his time in the industry he says: “Magic has not changed at all, only the clothing and the ‘look’ changes... I haven’t seen anyone do a ‘new’ trick in the past 15 years.”

With more than 40 years in the business, Paul says he is only foxed on a very rare occasion... and not for long: “I break it down, bit by bit, and eventually I will work it out,” he says. “And I tip my hat to anyone who could stump me.”

After all this time he also isn’t afraid to keep his tongue firmly in his cheek when it comes to fame, naming his new show Back Despite Popular Demand, and filling it with some old favourites as well as new tricks.

“People complain when we don’t do tricks they expect to see every time they come to see us, so we’ve included two oldies, my signature illusions as it were, but everything else is different,” says Paul. “And the great thing about a live show is that it’s never the same twice because the audience is different each night.”

The keen tweeter and blogger says he loves to interact with fans and had been due to grace prime time television once again after being asked to appear with Debbie on Celebrity Big Brother but the couple turned down the offer to the surprise of many.

“At the time of asking, Debbie had a couple of members of her family going through very serious illnesses and it would have been very wrong to desert them just to do a TV show,” explains the Berkshire resident.

He explains his complicated relationship with magic, fame and televison more when asked his thoughts on young television magician Dynamo, who recently said Paul had stayed on television for too long.

“I laughed when he said it,” reveals the Middlesborough lad, born Newton Edward Daniels. “So many people don’t realise that this is actually a job that demands constant publicity to keep the fans aware you are still out there.

“The vast majority of performers, even the good ones, are rarely, if ever, seen on TV.

“In my own career TV, surprisingly, was never my main source of work or income.

“My home is littered with awards for live shows, and they’ll always be my first love.”

Millfield Arts Centre, Silver Street, Edmonton, Wednesday, October 15, 7.45pm. Details: 020 8807 6680, millfieldtheatre.co.uk