BRITAIN’S Got Talent viewers were left amazed by a stunning magic routine from a contestant with showbiz links.
Magic runs in the family for magician James Phelan, whose uncle is a legendary illusionist.
The 33-year-old revealed his famous family connection as he introduced himself to the judges, admitting he had some very big shoes to fill.
James said he learned his craft by watching recordings of The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran from 1979 to 1994, and studying his late uncle’s performances.
He now bills himself as a psychological mind-reader rather than a traditional box-and-illusion magician.
The audience squirmed as James shoved a handful of sharp needles into his mouth and followed it up by swallowing a length of thread.
More in Britain’s Got Talent
Seconds later, he slowly pulled the thread back out – leaving the crowd gasping as the needles dangled, impossibly threaded along it.
Speaking about his famous family, James told The Mirror that Paul only ever taught him one trick.
James insists the star magician pushed him to make his own mark rather than copy anyone else.
He said: “My mum asked him to. He never told me how to do anything else, he’d say, ‘It’s in one of those books over there. Read those books and you’ll find out how it’s done’.
“He didn’t want me to be a tribute act, I suppose. He said, ‘don’t be me, be you, because you’re the best one of you there is’.”
Speaking about his Britain’s Got Talent audition, he added: “The audition felt like a real moment and it was a way for me to feel close to my uncle Paul again, which I think is really lovely.
“As I stood on stage at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, somewhere my uncle had performed so many times, his pictures were on the walls as I walked to the stage. I could feel the weight of the room.”
James’ audition proved a huge hit with the judges and viewers watching at home.
Naturally, he received four yeses and sailed through to the next round.
Magic legend Paul Daniels was one of Britain’s best-loved TV stars for deacdes.
He shot to fame with The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran from 1979 to 1994.
Paul often performed with his wife Debbie McGee and the couple quickly became a famous double act.
He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016 and spent his last weeks at home with family.
He died on March 17, 2016, aged 77, at his home in Buckinghamshire.
Tributes poured in from across the entertainment world, with fellow magicians and TV stars hailing him as one of the greatest illusionists Britain had ever produced.
