BAFTA Award-Winning Magician
Welcome to the rather pretentiously titled, BAFTA award-winning magician page. If you’d like to hear me talk about myself even more, head over to the about me page here…
It was my final six months of university and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was studying sociology and whilst I enjoyed it, I was certainly not destined to be a sociologist…
The audition
There is a well-known website amongst magicians, www.magicweek.co.uk. The website lists the latest news from all over the world (as much as anything magic-related can be newsworthy). In 2011 Duncan (the owner of the site) published an article advertising an upcoming audition with a company called “Objective productions”. Now, if you had been into magic for more than a minute, you knew “Objective”. They were the country’s most established production company when it came to magic. They were responsible for producing a wealth of tv shows ranging from The Real Hustle to Derren Brown.
This particular audition was for a 13-part series that had already been commissioned by BBC. Anyone who has done anything in television knows it is highly unusual not to have to do a pilot and get a series commissioned on concept alone. (To be honest, normally you turn up for an audition, a producer asks you what ideas you have, takes them, and then you never hear back. TV is brutal…but that’s another blog!).
Filming
To cut a long story short, I ended up going through a fairly rigorous audition process. Eventually I got the part – which is amazing considering I turned up to one audition in jeans with a rip in the crotch and forgot my props at another. I began filming in June 2011 (a few weeks after I finished my degree) appearing alongside 3 other magicians. The first series of the show was called “Help! My Supply Teacher Is Magic” – not the most “catchy” title I know. Moreover, a nightmare of a hashtag…
The show involved going into schools, pretending to be a supply teacher, and then performing magic “undercover” to children who thought it was just another day at the office. The children went berserk when they witnessed the magic, and then when they found out they were on hidden cameras and going to feature on CBBC they nearly tore the schools apart in excitement. The whole thing was immense fun and something I look back on with huge fondness. The show was an instant hit amongst both children and adults, holding its own alongside seasoned CBBC shows.
The second series
We were delighted to learn the show was recommissioned for a second series called, “Help! My Supply Teacher Is Still Magic!”. An even less catchy hashtag! This series was harder as firstly the children recognised who we were. Secondly, kids across the country instantly became suspicious any time a supply teacher was introduced! We had to don wigs, braces, costumes and even attempt our best accents to try and throw those pesky kids off the scent. To our surprise, the show worked wonderfully once again, and we got through another 13 episodes of fast-paced, fun-filled magic.
The BAFTA
It was this, the second series, that was nominated for a BAFTA. We were in utter disbelief and at that point “knew” we didn’t stand a chance. Nonetheless we were delighted to attend the red carpet event and get a free meal, as well as a free bar. I remember the moment we won so clearly. The nominees for best entertainment were announced, and we anxiously sat in silence. When “Help My Supply Teacher Is Still Magic!” echoed through the room we were ecstatic – a little too much so. I have subsequently learnt that if you win an award, you politely smile and quietly offer your commiserations to other nominees. Unfortunately, the competitive side of me took over and my genuine delight to win shone like a very bright, very annoying beacon. It’s something I still cringe about to this day…
Winning best in entertainment opened up many opportunities across the CBBC network. I went on to present Blue Peter, as well as feature on a multitude of shows such as Match Of The Day Kickabout, Jedward’s Big Adventure, and Celebrity Slammer. Not to mention BAFTA award-winning magician served as a lovely intro to these shows!
The Third Series
The show was commissioned for a third and final series, “Help! My School Trip is Magic!”. Like the previous two series, the clue was very much in the title. During this series, unsuspecting children would be taken on a school trip that would be far from ordinary. They would visit places such as The Natural History Museum, The V&A, The Olympic Stadium – the list goes on! Here they would witness impossible moments of magic from a supposed tour guide, janitor, or member of staff…as well as another ropey accent or two…
Unquestionably, being a BAFTA award-winning magician as lead to many opportunities. Whether that’s been featuring on other televisions shows, stage shows, or getting press articles. In total, we produced 39 episodes of magic across 3 series (sadly just the one BAFTA). It was a fantastic team of people, many of whom I’m still good friends with. Whilst it was a lot of hard work, it was an incredible experience and one I’m very grateful to have had!
