The 59-year-old former magician’s assistant has been rumoured to have been locked in a fierce battle with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, 29, as the pair fight it out to secure their place in next week’s live final in a bid to win the Glitterball trophy.

However, Debbie McGee has now spoken out about their alleged “feud”, dismissing the claims as “fiction”.

“There have been stories about Alexandra and I feuding,” she explained. “And you do find it hard to deal with because it really is all fiction.

“There’s nothing that I’ve read that’s been true,” she wrote in her weekly column for The Telegraph. “At first we laughed about them, but as it goes on, I’ve stopped reading things.

“When you’re going through grief [as Alex is],” she added. “You don’t feel as strong as you once were.”

Debbie also confessed that some of the hurtful things that have been said have hit her harder as a result of coming to terms with the death of her husband, Paul Daniels, last year.

“She things have affected me more since Paul died,” she said. “We’re in week 12, so I can relate to Alex’s comments about things taking their toll.”

The Strictly come Dancing favourite went on to reveal that the whole cast continue to be supportive of each other via their WhatsApp group, adding that Brian Conley, 56, who was kicked off the show in week five, keeps spirits up with his jokes.

Debbie, along with the remaining four stars, has been struggling with the mammoth task of learning two dances this week ahead of tomorrow night’s semi-final.

She and her professional partner Giovanni Bernice, 27, will perform the Foxtrot to Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder before tackling the fast-paced Jive to I’m So Excited by the Pointer Sisters.

Strictly Come Dancing continues tomorrow at 6.45pm on BBC One.