Johnny Strange facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Strange
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Johnny Strange, performance artist
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| Born | 6 December 1988 Lancashire, England
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| Occupation | Performer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
Johnny Strange was born on December 6, 1988, in Lancashire, England. He is a famous English performer, producer, and author. People know him for his amazing and sometimes funny daredevil stunts. He even holds many Guinness World Records! He is often called "the man with ears of steel."
Contents
What Kind of Performer is Johnny Strange?
Johnny Strange started his journey by learning about escapology, like the famous Harry Houdini. He practiced escaping from handcuffs and straitjackets. This led him to become very interested in old-fashioned sideshows and freak shows.
What Stunts Does Johnny Strange Do?
Johnny Strange has learned many incredible skills. He can juggle running chainsaws and crack whips with great aim. He also performs classic sideshow acts. These include sword swallowing, walking on broken glass, and eating fire. He can even lie on a bed of nails!
Some of his most unique stunts involve swallowing a magnet and then using a sword to get it back. He has also swallowed a glowing glass tube. His shows often mix these dangerous acts with comedy.
Johnny Strange's Live Shows
Johnny Strange's live performances are full of exciting stunts. He shows how the mind can control the body and performs amazing escape acts. He also demonstrates precise aim and incredible physical strength.
In 2012, Johnny Strange created his own show called "Johnny Strange's Theatre of Wonder." He hosts and performs in this show. It features many other talented artists from around the world. These include contortionists, knife throwers, and fire breathers. The show aims to bring the excitement of old-time sideshows to a new audience.
Johnny Strange and Guinness World Records
Johnny Strange holds several Guinness World Records for his incredible feats. In 2013, he earned his nickname "the man with ears of steel." This happened after he set a record for lifting the heaviest weight with his pierced ears.
Guinness then challenged him to pull a vehicle with his ears. Johnny accepted! He managed to pull a Cessna 172-P airplane for 67 feet. This made him the first person to hold both records at the same time.
What Are Some of Johnny Strange's Records?
Here are some of the amazing records Johnny Strange holds:
- The heaviest vehicle pulled by pierced ears: On May 12, 2014, he pulled a vehicle weighing 677.8 kg (about 1,494 pounds) for 20.4 meters using his ear piercings.
- The heaviest weight lifted by pierced ears: On August 21, 2016, he lifted 21.63 kg (about 47 pounds) with his ear piercings. He broke his own record!
- Most swords swallowed in three minutes: On December 13, 2016, he swallowed 16 swords in just three minutes.
- Most newspapers split with a bullwhip in one minute: On the same day, he split 16 newspapers with a bullwhip in one minute.
- Most eggs broken with a whip in one minute: On August 10, 2015, he broke 14 eggs using a bullwhip.
- The most apples chainsawed out of the mouth in one minute: On October 12, 2013, he cut 18 apples out of his own mouth with a chainsaw in one minute.
- The most apples chainsawed out of someone else's mouth in one minute: On the same day, he cut 12 apples out of his assistant's mouth with a chainsaw.
- The fastest time to break 16 concrete blocks on the body: On October 12, 2013, he broke 16 concrete blocks on his assistant's stomach in 30.4 seconds.
- The most animal traps released on the body in one minute: On October 12, 2013, he released 6 animal traps onto his hands and arms in one minute.
- The most melons chopped in half on somebody's stomach (with a samurai sword while they lay on a bed of nails): On October 12, 2013, he chopped 10 watermelons in half on his assistant's stomach in 30 seconds.
His records have been featured in many news articles. The Daily Express called his melon-chopping record one of the "best ever Guinness World records."
Johnny Strange in the News
In 2014, Johnny Strange made headlines around the world. He teamed up with stunt rider Vesko Lesev in Brussels, Belgium. Together, they performed a unique sword swallowing stunt inside the Globe of death. Johnny became the first person to swallow a sword while inside this giant steel ball. A motorbike rode around him at over 40 mph!
Johnny has said that it took him three years to master sword swallowing. He practiced every day. He explained that the stunt was very dangerous and required a lot of trust between him and Vesko.
Because sword swallowing is so difficult and risky, there are very few people who can do it. The Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) lists Johnny Strange as one of Europe's last professional sword swallowers.
Johnny Strange on TV
Johnny Strange has appeared on many television shows around the world. These include:
- Galileo
- The BBC's live coverage of Glastonbury Festival
- ITV Studios' '8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'
- CBBC's 'Officially Amazing'
- A League Of Their Own
- Game of Talents
- Comedy Central's Outrageous Stunts
He has also appeared on popular YouTube channels like Good Mythical Morning, LastWeekTonight, F2Freestylers, and Sidemen. In 2021, he was on 'Sidemens Got Talent.' He lifted a beer keg with his ear piercings and swallowed swords. KSI even pulled a sword out of his throat!
Johnny Strange as an Author
In 2023, Johnny Strange wrote a book called 'Unusual As Usual: Bizarre stories of historical circus, sideshow and freak show performers.' This book quickly became a number-one bestseller on Amazon. He followed it up with a second book in the series, 'Unusual As Usual: Abnormal Animals,' that same year.
In 2024, he released his third book, 'Elaine Davidson: Holier Than Thou.' This book is about the life and career of Elaine Davidson, known as the 'Most Pierced Woman In The World' by Guinness World Records.
Who is Johnny Strange Connected To?
Johnny Strange is an active member of several important groups for performers:
- Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI)
- The International Jugglers' Association (IJA)
- United Kingdom Escape Artists (UKEA)
