Derren Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Derren Brown
Brown in September 2018
Born	(1971-02-27) 27 February 1971 (age 54) London, England
Occupation	Mentalist illusionist writer
Years active	1992–present

Derren Brown (born 27 February 1971) is a famous English mentalist, illusionist, and writer. He calls himself a "psychological illusionist." His shows often aim to explain how people who claim to have special powers, like faith healers or mediums, might trick others.

In his live shows, Derren Brown often involves the audience and adds comedy. He explains that his amazing results come from a mix of psychology, great showmanship, magic, misdirection, and suggestion.

Brown started performing in 1992. He first appeared on TV with Mind Control in 2000. Since then, he has created many popular stage and TV shows. These include Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006) and Svengali (2012). Both of these shows won him Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment. His show The Experiments (2011) won a BAFTA award for Best Entertainment Programme in 2012. Brown also performed on Broadway in 2019 with his show Secret. He has also written books for both magicians and the general public.

Early Life and Inspiration

Derren Brown was born in London on 27 February 1971. He grew up in Purley, which he described as a typical middle-class area. He went to Whitgift School in South Croydon, where his father was a swimming coach. Later, he studied law and German at the University of Bristol.

While at university, he saw a hypnotist show by Martin S. Taylor. This show inspired him to explore illusion and hypnosis as a career. As a student, he began working as a conjuror, performing close-up magic in local bars and restaurants. In 1992, he started doing stage shows at the University of Bristol under the name Darren V. Brown.

Derren Brown's Career Journey

Derren Brown met magician Jerry Sadowitz at a magic shop. This meeting led him to work with Andrew O’Connor’s company, Objective Productions. His first TV show, Mind Control (2000), became a big success. After several shows with Objective, Brown started his own company, Vaudeville Productions. This company helps him produce his own shows and other projects.

In 2008, Brown had a small role in the TV show Crooked House. He was also interviewed in Richard Dawkins' 2009 documentary The Enemies of Reason. In this interview, Brown explained how fake psychics and mediums use psychological tricks to fool people. He talked about a technique called cold reading, which he also writes about in his book Tricks of the Mind.

In 2009, Brown hosted Derren Brown's 3D Magic Spectacular for Channel 4's 3D season. He presented other magicians and clips, including one of his own tricks from Trick of the Mind.

In January 2011, Channel 4 celebrated Brown's 10 years on TV with a special "Derren Brown Night." They showed his popular special The Heist and one of his live shows, Enigma. They also aired a documentary called Derren Brown: Behind the Mischief. This film shared personal stories about Brown, including how he met his co-writer and his mother's thoughts on his Russian Roulette special. It also showed him visiting his old school and the places where he first started his career.

In 2013, Brown appeared in a special Deal or No Deal episode. He seemed to predict all the correct boxes to win a large jackpot. He also appeared in a comedy sketch for 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Deal or No Deal. In 2014, he played himself in the Sherlock episode "The Empty Hearse". He was part of a theory about how Sherlock Holmes faked his own death.

In 2018, he was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience to promote his Netflix special Sacrifice. In February 2021, Brown appeared in a trailer for the video game Little Nightmares II. He discussed nightmares while game monsters appeared around him.

How Derren Brown Creates Illusions

Suggested Methods

Derren Brown often says he uses many different methods for his illusions. These include traditional magic tricks, memory techniques, hypnosis, reading body language, cognitive psychology, cold reading, and psychological suggestion. He also uses "perception without awareness" (PWA) and ideomotor suggestion.

Some people suggest he uses other methods, like neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) or even paid actors, but he denies these.

In a 2005 interview, Brown explained that he learned skills as a hypnotist. He wasn't sure how to use them until he started performing close-up magic. He also claims he can tell if someone is lying by reading small body cues. When it comes to hypnotizing people, he says he can usually spot someone who is easily influenced. He believes that being on television also makes people more open to suggestion.

Brown has mentioned attending an NLP course. However, he states he has never claimed to use NLP in his shows outside of his book. He discusses NLP in his book Tricks of the Mind as part of a larger look at hypnotism and suggestion.

Real Versus Stated Methods

Brown often says he will reveal how he does his tricks. However, these explanations are usually another layer of misdirection. The audience might think he uses deep psychological insights, which helps his tricks work even better. He uses various techniques to make sure his audience cannot figure out his real methods.

For example, after a trick where he seemed to predict lottery numbers, he explained it using the idea of "Wisdom of Crowds." But some people believe the real method involved split-screen video.

In 2003, writer Simon Singh criticized Brown's early TV shows. Singh argued that Brown presented standard magic tricks as if they were real psychological manipulation. Brown often appears to show the audience how an effect was created, claiming to use things like subliminal suggestion or hypnosis. Singh suggested these explanations were not honest.

In his 2006 book Tricks of the Mind, Brown wrote, "I am often dishonest in my techniques, but always honest about my dishonesty... I happily admit cheating, as it's all part of the game." He also said he never uses actors without telling the viewers. However, in a 2010 interview, Brown agreed that Singh had a point. He explained that at the start of his TV career, he "was overstating the case, overstating my skills. I thought there'll only be one show, there'll never be a repeat, so I might as well go for it."

Personal Life

Derren Brown's parents sent him to Bible classes when he was young. As a teenager, he became an evangelical Christian to deal with personal challenges. However, by the end of his teenage years, he became an atheist.

In 2007, Brown shared about his personal life in an article. He was dating a designer named Marc at the time, and they were together for eight years before separating.

Brown has been a supporter of the Parrot Zoo Trust in Friskney since 2004. He enjoys parrots because he finds them fascinating. He notes that many parrots live longer than humans and can mimic human voices.

Brown used to have short brown hair with sideburns and a goatee. In 2013, he shaved his head and face, though he sometimes has stubble now. He told The Times that he wasn't worried about losing his hair. He explained that makeup artists used to put powder on his hair for TV, making it look full even as he was going bald.

Works

Derren Brown has created many popular shows for television and the stage. He has also written several books.

Television Shows

Brown has starred in many TV series and specials. Some of his well-known series include:

• Mind Control (2000–2003)
• Trick of the Mind (2004–2006)
• Trick or Treat (2007–2008)
• The Events (2009), which included a famous lottery prediction.
• Derren Brown Investigates (2010)
• The Experiments (2011), which won a BAFTA award.
• He even had a voice appearance as himself in The Simpsons in 2024.

His television specials often involve grand experiments or challenges. Some notable ones include:

• Russian Roulette (2003)
• Séance (2004)
• Messiah (2005), where he convinced experts he had special powers.
• The Heist (2006), where he influenced people to commit a fake robbery.
• The System (2008), a show about a horse-racing "system" that was actually a confidence trick.
• Hero At 30,000 Feet (2010), where he helped someone overcome their fear of flying.
• Miracles for Sale (2011), where he taught someone to act like a faith healer.
• Apocalypse (2012), where he convinced someone the world had ended.
• Pushed to the Edge (2016), also known as The Push, exploring social pressure.
• Sacrifice (2018), a Netflix special about bravery.

Stage Shows

Derren Brown has toured extensively with his live stage shows, which are known for their audience participation and incredible illusions. Many of these shows have won awards.

• Derren Brown: Live (2003–2004)
• Something Wicked This Way Comes (2005–2006), which won an Olivier Award.
• Mind Reader – An Evening of Wonders (2007–2008)
• Enigma (2009–2010)
• Svengali (2011–2012), which also won an Olivier Award.
• Infamous (2013–2014)
• Miracle (2015–2016)
• Underground (2017–2018), a collection of his favorite past works.
• Secret (2017, 2019), his first show in the United States, including his Broadway debut.
• Showman (2021–2022), a UK and Ireland tour.
• Only Human (2025), a planned UK tour.

Many of his stage shows have also been filmed and broadcast on television, allowing more people to experience them.

Books

Brown has written seven books. His first two, Absolute Magic and Pure Effect, are for other magicians. They explain how to make magic performances more engaging and offer insights into his methods.

His books for the general public include:

• Tricks of the Mind: This book reveals some of his techniques, discusses the psychology of magic, and explores hypnosis. He also shares his thoughts on the paranormal and why people believe in supernatural things.
• Confessions of a Conjuror: This book mixes autobiography with funny observations.
• Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine: This book explores the history and philosophy of happiness. A shorter version, A Little Happier: Notes for reassurance, was also published.
• A Book of Secrets: Finding Comfort in a Complex World (2021).
• Notes from a Fellow Traveller (2023): This book is aimed at magicians and mentalists.

He has also released books featuring his street photography and painted portraits.

Other Projects

Brown has co-hosted web series for Channel 4, such as The Science of Scams and The Science of Attraction. In The Science of Scams, he explained how videos appearing to show paranormal events were actually tricks. The Science of Attraction explored how physical and psychological factors influence attraction.

He has also released audio extracts from Tricks of the Mind, sharing tips and techniques. For magicians, he created instructional videos like The Devil's Picturebook and International Magic Presents: The Derren Brown Lecture, which explain close-up mentalism.

In 2007, Brown acted in the short film Medium Rare. In 2008, he had a guest acting role in BBC Four's Crooked House. He also contributed caricatures to "The QI 'F' annual" in 2008 and released a book of his paintings called Portraits in 2009. In 2010, he appeared in a Comedy Gala for Channel 4.

Thorpe Park Ride

Derren Brown helped create a virtual reality dark ride at the Thorpe Park amusement park. "Derren Brown's Ghost Train" opened on 8 July 2016. It was set in an old train carriage and used live actors, holograms, and VR headsets. The ride was Thorpe Park's most expensive experience. It closed in 2022 and was later re-themed as "Ghost Train" without Brown's involvement.

Playing Cards

In 2019, Brown worked with the playing card company Theory11 to create a special deck of cards.

Awards and Recognitions

Derren Brown has received many awards for his work:

• In 2000, his TV series Mind Control won a Silver Rose at the Rose d'Or awards.
• His stage show Something Wicked This Way Comes won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment in 2006.
• He won The Academy of Magical Arts Magician of the Year award in both 2007 and 2019.
• His TV series The Experiments won a BAFTA award for Best Entertainment Show in 2011.
• His stage show Svengali won another Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment in 2012.
• He has also been nominated for Olivier Awards for his shows Enigma (2010), Infamous (2014), and Underground (2018).
• In 2024, he won The Magic Circle's David Berglas Award.