Born in Muswell Hill, London,[1] Nixon attended the Westcliff High School for Boys in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.

His father was a lawyer whose hobby was magic and who took Nixon to watch performers such as Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant.

One magician who made an early impression on the young boy was Stanley Collins, who had a gentlemanly image which influenced Nixon's later performing style.

[3] With the advent of the Second World War, Nixon joined ENSA, the organisation that was set up to provide entertainment for British troops.

[3] In July 1948, he was in the cast of the "Out of the Blue" revue at the Spa Theatre, Scarborough[5] and he was joined on stage by the actor and comedian Norman Wisdom, who wreaked havoc with his act.

Nixon's big break came in 1954 when he was invited to be a panelist on the British version of the television quiz show What's My Line?, appearing in 150 editions between 1954 and 1963.

A keen chess player, Nixon presented Checkmate, an ATV series teaching the basics of the game.

David Nixon has been recognised as an influence on future UK magicians as diverse as Wayne Dobson[10] and Jerry Sadowitz.