Derren's lucky break came when in 1999 when Jerry Sadowitz's manager, Michael Vine, (now Derren's manager) flew up from London to see one Jerry's performamnces in Glasgow and Michael happened to mention that for about two years he and his business partner, Andrew O'Connor, had been looking for a mind reader that they could introduce to Channel Four. Jerry was gracious enough to mention Derren, and so on 27th December, 2000 Derren Brown: Mind Control I hit the screens and changed the face and perception of British magic forever.

Such was the sucess of the first programme, another two specials were commisioned and were subsequently broadcast on 25th August 2001 and 1st January 2002. Then some additional material was added to some of the origional effects featured in the Specials to created a six part Mind Control Series. The repeat showing of Derren Brown: Mind Control is rated in Channel 4's top ten most watched shows .

On 5th October, 2003 Derren decided to embark on an effect that would set the nation talking: Derren Brown Plays Russian Roulette. Derren cheated death by firing a six chambered revolver loaded with one live bullet at his head. This created the desired effect and caused much public uproar and filled practically every national newspaper. Derren says he is legally bound not to disclose any details of whether the bullets used were live or blanks due to the Jersey Police's inquiry, although he is increasingly suggesting that they were infact not blanks. However, logic says that there could be a number of different ways of 'safely' carrying out the effect with live bullets, but either way, it was gripping and heart stopping television.

After embarking on a national tour and a three week run in the West End, Derren's new six part series Trick of the Mind started on the 23rd April, 2004 and larger and more adventorous effects were achieved which once again showed Derren's unique tallent. The series featured a range of effects including Derren manipulating an orchestra to play a tune of his choice, playing chess with nine leading British chess masters and convincing a film student he has become invisible. Stephen Fry, Martin Kemp and Michel Roux Jnr. also feature in some of Derren's effects.

In Trick of he Mind, Derren showed how the power of an unquestioning belief can leave people open to suggestion and thus manipulated. He showed this by manipulating a woman who was convinced by New Age philosophies and alternative medicine. Derren explains what he did: "I start by establishing an atmosphere which will convince the woman that I have supernatural powers. To do this, I take her to Epping Forest, a wild and natural place, full of ancient trees. I have a doll, which, I tell her, contains a ring that belongs to her. When I tie up the doll's legs, she finds she cannot move her legs. When I tie up the doll's arms, she can't move her arms. I tie string round the doll's mouth and she finds she cannot speak. This fits in so well with her beliefs about how the world works that she is happy to accept that by putting her ring into the doll, I have given it her soul. As a result, her body mimics what I do to the doll. In reality, the doll does not contain her ring and I have no supernatural powers. When I give the woman permission to question my powers, she finds she can move and speak."

Derren again showed how people are easily manipulated by creating a seance which was shown on 31st May 2004. Derren explains "Spiritualism often exploits people at their most vulnerable, such as the recently bereaved who are desperate to contact those they have lost. They are being conned by acts that are both powerful and intriguing. These use similar techniques to those of the 19th century spiritualists. This is how it works.

"I start by picking the right people. Young people, who are more open-minded, and artistic people, who have vivid imaginations, are often particularly suggestible. Those in my show are young students, many of them studying arts subjects.

"I start by getting people to believe in me by using a powerful spiritualist trick called cold reading. I get information from a subject while appearing to reveal facts about them. The spiritualist (in this case, me) starts by saying something like: 'I sense a connection to someone with a name like Laura, Nora. Does anyone know someone with a name like that?' Of course, several hands go up and then you go on in a similar way to get these people to give you information about themselves.

"The scene is also set by using an empty building and darkened rooms. I tell the story of a 1974 suicide pact between 12 students, gradually revealing more, including film footage, of Jane, one the deceased characters. I arrange the pictures to manipulate the participants into focusing on Jane.

"The tools � the ouija board, pen, blank paper, glass, letters of the alphabet and flat surface as well as the spirit cabinet � match their expectations of the kind of environment associated with the paranormal, and encourage them to believe in the trick.

"The ouija board is one of most interesting. We've all heard stories of things flying off walls and people being menaced by spirits, but if you start asking around, a lot of people will say: 'We did it and nothing happened.'

"When the glass moves on the ouija board to spell words and the person in the spirit cabinet throws the tambourine thinking they are possessed by spirits, it is actually my suggestions that have encouraged them into involuntary behaviour. This is common to a lot of mediums who genuinely think they are communing with the dead � I suppose this could be called unconscious fraud.

"In fact, the whole event is a set up to show how people can be manipulated. There was no suicide pact in 1974 and Jane is an actress who is very much alive!" (Taken from

Channel Four)

Seance recieved more than 700 complainsts, mainly prebroadcast, which has made Seance the most complained about television show in Britain. Bless the do-gooding Christain community who seem unfamiliar with the terms debunking and irony!

Currently Derren is said to be recording his third television series for Channel Four.