I must admit I was cringing for him a bit when the judges kept clarifying what he wanted them to do. I was willing him to do well, as he seems like such a nice guy. I thought he pulled it off alright in the end, and I'm glad he's through to Saturday.

Was the helicopter a 3D projection on the wall? I couldn't see how they could drop an actual helicopter onto the stage at such short notice!

The problem is BGT production team tried to recreate the Magician won on AGT last year. But he has excellent personality and presentation skills that Jamie lacks.

To be fair, I didn't specify who I blamed for it, I just said it was funny.

The UDI comparison isn't valid. We know that is how they do their act, it isn't a trick.


There wasn’t anything extraordinary there, it was all clearly set up. He knew what would be on the cards as he put them there. He knew which judge to go to last to have the suspense of the big reveal of the helicopter at the end as he gave Amanda the card that said helicopter on. He pulled a block of ice from his pocket and dropped it in Alesha's hands. He took goldfish from his pocket and put them in a glass of water. He took his shoe off and put it back on! And then some people behind a cloth put together half a prop helicopter.

If it hadn’t all have been so obvious, it would have been better.

I don’t think they came across cool towards, just that they were concentrating on what he was doing.


It was half a prop helicopter, the other side didn’t exist. Watch the guy almost not get in in time, and the way he was sitting with his right leg propped up. You can clearly see there is no other side to it.

Ah thanks. I think I'll take another look on YouTube.

people actually think that was a real helicopter?

I just don't get all the negativity on here. The acts entertained people and that's what it's all about. Why on earth are you picking everything apart bit by bit and revelling in people's mistakes? I just don't get it. I enjoyed the show; there were only two poor acts on there in my opinion. Why do some of you want to pull it apart and ruin it for everyone else?

UDI didnt deserve to win the semi. There semi final performance wasnt as good as there audition its as simple as that

I was pretty surprised he was voted first. He obviously knew what each object on the card was going to be or are we meant to believe they just 'randomly' had a glass of water, a lighter, a shoe and a helicopter waiting for him??? When Simon asked who wrote helicopter no one put their hand up and obviously they had to save the dramatic object until last. Blatantly pre planned.

Posted this in another thread too but it's more relevant here.

I though his 'small' tricks were far better than his big trick with the helicopter. Especially when you could very clearly see the curtain hanging off the helicopter totally giving away, they could at least have removed the black curtain hiding it completely.

Yes we know it's not 'magic' but the entire point of this act is to be left wondering how he did it. And when the black curtain is left on your big finale, showing how you did it. It seems very amateurish to me.

Pic clearly showing the curtain on the helicopter for anyone who missed it.

http://i57.tinypic.com/1zps9x0.jpg

I also think he should have lit the lighter, to make fire AFTER he asked Alisha what was on her card. At least try and keep up with the pretence that you don't know what's on the cards until told. Because if he didn't know what was on the card, how did he know he'd need the lighter.

The over head shot of the shoe was not his fault but still poor. And after when Simon asked if they were actual suggestions from audience members and he said yes. But then nobody stood up when asked. Again poor. Why not just say he has written random things down and will ask the judges to select them.

He seems like a nice guy but a great, spellbinding magician he isn't.

All that said I can't help but root for him to do well. So fingers crossed he isn't so nervous in the final and there aren't so many mistakes.

Of course the mistakes need to be looked at. If a singer or dancer makes 4 or 5 mistakes they will not get through. This is why quite a few people are surprised he got through as winner.

I don't think anyone is revelling in his mistakes? It just wasn't a very good magic trick as it was all so painfully obvious. I'm not going to sit here and say it was brilliant and perfect when it wasn't. The best magic tricks are the ones when you are left with no idea how it was done, that wasn't the case with this trick.

Why is it ok to criticise a singing act if they don't sing well, or a dancing act if they don't dance well, but we can't criticise a magic act if the "magic" wasn't very good?

I felt for him too. He does seem like a nice guy.
I'm sure nerves played a part, there were a lot more components to this performance, so many more ducks to keep in a row.
I'm sure he'll watch last night's performance back and see if he can make adjustments for Saturday.

The best trick Jamie did was to give a nervous and disjointed performance but win his semi final

That's one trick I cannot work out

That's DS for you.

Actually if you read back through some of the comments, yes they were!

I wasn't referring only to the criticism of the magic act anyway, I was referring to the general negativity towards the vast majority of the acts on each semi final so far this week. Can't understand why people bother to watch a show like this, merely to pull every act to pieces and say how bad they are. If you don't like it, then don't bother watching it.

I'm absolutely shocked - a stage magician pre-planning his tricks.

For a magician playing to a real audience, and close up to the judges, he wasn't bad. He's good at sleight of hand, which is a basic skill for magicians.

I also think participants from the audience have a duty to play along with the illusion, so long as that doesn't involve a lie. For example, don't say "no" if it was the card you picked, or "yes" if it wasn't.

And if a magician covers a billiard table with face down cards, then shoots a ball so it bounces of the sides and lands on the card you "picked", don't lift a few others to show they're all the same card.

I wonder whether he should have had a word beforehand, to request that cameras showed only the audience's viewpoint; I imagine most tricks would be spoiled by overhead cameras.

He was far better than the TV magicians who won't work on stage, and who have all their tricks created in the editing studio.

just lousy,zero personality mumbled a lot.

Its like bgt gave him a hundred quid to visit the local magic shop,ive seen better magic from my cousin on xmas day!

Please give me a clue so I can work out who you mean.

I thought he was awful and i was shocked he won. His tricks were all obvious in how they were performed and a lot of them where basic tricks that could be bought from a magic shop. He seems a nice enough guy, but his act was just embarrassing.

Dynamo!

Whilst he does do some real street magic (Real as in he is actually doing it with real people on the streets) 80% of it is set up and/or only works because the camera isn't showing everything and/or other production tricks.

Anyone can do that - Go into your town centre tomorrow with a camera man, approach people and ask them to just think of a card. Then always say "You are thinking of the 5 of spades" - Do it enough times and suddenly you will get a big reaction when you get it exactly right. Now just use the one time you got it right in your TV special and it will look like you can just go up to people and read their minds. The whole thing being created because you are doing on an edit TV show. You couldn't repeat it live on stage.

Thanks.

What do you think about Derren Brown?
The reason I ask is that he explains some of his tricks but not always.


Its a hobby of mine going on to youtube to see how tricks are done.

Love Derren! He sometimes gives explanations but that doesn't mean they are the right ones!

So your hobby is just waiting around for others to tell you how someone did something? Why not get some books/DVDs on the subject and learn to do it yourself?

I mean what is the purpose of knowing how something is done if you are not going to use it? Why not just sit back and enjoy the show for what it is?

It's like me asking the lady in the cake shop for the full recipe of my favourite cake when I have no intention of making it myself. (Plus the recipe has commercial value for them and so don't want people know it and making their own cakes) So if I'm not going to make it, I don't need the recipe and just enjoy eating the cakes.

That's right.

I'm just a nosey bu**er.

Interesting - but WHY?

I'd very much like to get to the bottom of this thinking. What is the fascination or draw in it? Do you imagine that magicians are trying to get one over on you and by finding out your have won is some way?

Just what is the draw in it?