Paul Zenon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Zenon
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Paul Zenon in 2012
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| Born |
Paul Collins
29 June 1964 Skipton, Yorkshire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | magician, sceptic, comedian, writer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Paul Zenon (born Paul Collins) is a famous English magician, comedian, and writer. He is well-known for his amazing magic tricks on stage and TV. Paul has also written three books about magic, fun bets, and practical jokes.
He is an expert on the history of magic and famous magicians. Some of his favorite topics include Harry Houdini, a famous escape artist, and Jasper Maskelyne, known as the 'War Magician'. Paul is also a skeptic, meaning he questions claims about psychic abilities and ghosts.
Paul Zenon is a special member of The Magic Circle, which is a very respected group for magicians. He has won many awards for his comedy and magic, including the Carlton Award for Comedy in 2015 and the Sir Ken Dodd Comedy Award in 2017. He also received the Neville King Award and the David Berglas Award in 2019 for his great contributions to magic.
Contents
Paul Zenon's Amazing Career
Early Days and Street Magic
When Paul Zenon was a teenager, he spent his summer holidays working in a magic shop in Blackpool called 'The House of Secrets'. The shop owner, Bill Thompson, became his friend and helped him learn about magic. Paul even created a special show called 'Linking Rings' about this time, and also about Harry Houdini's life. This show was performed at festivals in Edinburgh and Brighton.
When he was 19, Paul traveled around Europe as a street performer. He did magic tricks and even ate fire! He also told fortunes to earn extra money. When he came back to the UK, he started performing in comedy clubs and at holiday resorts. He even performed for British, UN, and US soldiers in many different countries around the world.
Performing Around the World
Since the 1980s, Paul has performed at many events all over the world. He has also been a regular performer at big Arts and Fringe Festivals. These include festivals in Edinburgh, Brighton, London, Dublin, and even in Australia and New Zealand. He has performed his own shows like 'Turning Tricks' and 'Cabinet of Curiosities'. Since 2003, he has been a main performer and Ringmaster in a popular variety show called 'La Clique'.
Paul Zenon has been on TV since 1980. He has performed in a Royal Command Performance and had four of his own TV specials. He is also a regular guest on the TV show 'Countdown', where he has appeared over 120 times.
Books and Other Projects
Paul has written three books about magic and jokes. In 2012, he worked with a comic book artist named Vince Ray to create a special deck of playing cards called the Z-Ray Deck. These cards were printed by a famous company called Bicycle.
Paul has also given many live talks, including a TedX talk. He even hosted a big science conference in Manchester in 2014. Besides magic and comedy, Paul has also worked as an actor. He appeared in a children's TV show called Tricky Business. He also wrote and performed his own play, 'Linking Rings', which received great reviews. In 2016, he performed 'Linking Rings' in London's West End.
Paul Zenon on Television
Early TV Shows
Paul Zenon first appeared on TV in 1980 on a show called Fun Factory. He also appeared on New Faces of '86. In the early 1990s, Paul starred in two series of the BBC children's show Tricky Business, playing a character named Micky. He also presented a show called Tricks n Tracks on BBC One, where he helped with the magic tricks. In 1993, Paul created a video called Magic You Can Do.
His Own TV Specials
Paul created and produced a game show for ITV called Crazy Cottage, which ran for three series. In 1998, he had his own TV special called Paul Zenon – Turning Tricks. This led to more hour-long magic specials, including Paul Zenon's Tricky Christmas (1999) and Paul Zenon's Trick or Treat (2000), which was filmed in Prague. He also had a special called White Magic with Paul Zenon (2003), filmed in Lapland.
In 2005, Paul wrote and presented a hidden camera prank show called Paul Zenon's Revenge Squad on ITV. Since 2004, he has been a regular guest on Channel 4's Countdown. He has also appeared on many other TV shows, including The One Show, The Culture Show, The Gadget Show, and BBC News.
Helping Others: The Wonderbus Charity
Paul Zenon started a charity called The Wonderbus. This charity helps older people from care homes go on fun days out to see live shows and events.
To raise money for The Wonderbus, Paul performed shows with famous comedians like Harry Hill and Lee Mack in 2008. In 2009, he organized a big show at the London Palladium with comedians like Dara Ó Briain and Sean Lock to help the charity.
Paul Zenon: The Skeptic
Questioning Psychic Claims
Early in his career, Paul Zenon worked as a fortune-teller. Because of this experience, he became a strong skeptic about claims of paranormal and supernatural abilities. He often questions people who say they can talk to ghosts or have special powers.
In 2011, Paul wrote an article about a psychic named Sally Morgan. He suggested she might be using an earpiece to get information during her shows. This idea came after people said they heard information coming from the theater's lighting box that Sally seemed to repeat.
Paul later saw a video of Sally Morgan appearing to remove an earpiece after a show. He shared this on TV. Sally Morgan then said that she does wear an earpiece, but only to get directions from her stage director, not to get information about the audience. There was a legal case about these claims, which was later settled.
Paul Zenon continues to speak out against people who claim to be psychic, especially those who say they can talk to people who have passed away. He has taken part in many discussions about this topic on TV, radio, and at live events. In 2014, he hosted the QED Conference, which is a big event for skeptics.
Paul Zenon's Books
Paul Zenon has written three main books:
- 100 Ways to Win a Tenner: Scams, Cons, Games You Can't Lose! (2003)
- Paul Zenon's Dirty Tricks: Pranks, Wind-Ups and Practical Jokes – A Guide to Getting Your Own Back! (2004)
- Street Magic: Great Tricks and Close-up Secrets Revealed (2005)
His book Street Magic was re-released in 2008 with new pictures. It was also divided into smaller books with different titles. 100 Ways to Win a Tenner was released in other countries with different names, like 100 Ways to Win a Ten-Spot in the USA. In 2016, shorter versions of Paul Zenon's Dirty Tricks and Street Magic were released as Paul Zenon's Practical Jokes and Paul Zenon's Practical Magic.
