Steven Frayne is just days away from having to bury himself alive live on TV as part of his special Dynamo is Dead, and he's said it's going to be 'the scariest thing he's ever done'.
The celebrated magician Dynamo will be 'killed by his creator' in a spectacular stunt during the grand finale and he told LADbible all about it, including his very personal motivations behind the magic.
"Personally, I feel that over the last few years, I have identified less and less with the Dynamo that everybody seems to know," Frayne told LADbible of his plans to bury himself alive in a show where the title declares his famous persona to be dead.
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"I think the pressures of having been that character just felt very overwhelming. I felt like I needed to take a step away and just kind of find myself again before I come back.
"I think the old me is always going to be there somewhere inside. But I found a new type of magic that I want to share. I feel for me when I think of the old Dynamo that part of me is dead."
Frayne went on to explain that part of the reason behind this feeling was the loss of his beloved nana, who was a major inspiration to him as he developed his talent for magic.
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He said: "Anyone who knows anything about me knows that my nana played a big part in raising me and instilled in me the sensibilities that I've got.
"My grandpa got me into magic, but it was my nana who would basically be the rock behind us supporting me, taking me to the magic shows and taking me to the magic competitions.
"She was the one who basically nurtured that talent when I was a kid. So when she died, I felt like I felt like the magic in me had died at the same time."
The 40-year-old said he thought his nana would be 'happy that I was laying the old Dynamo to rest with her' and that by finding new kinds of magic to perform he'd be helping to keep her legacy alive.
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That's a big part of the motivation behind Dynamo is Dead, as he told LADbible he feels like he's 'got my magic back' thanks to seeing 'the magic of everyone else'.
While he loves performing live and said he'd love to get back on the stage, Frayne first wants to introduce his new magic to the world.
Some of his favourite parts of Dynamo is Dead are when the man himself isn't actually doing magic, as he's managed to get some of his celebrity guests such as Tyson Fury, Steven Bartlett and Kate Beckinsale to pull off some of the tricks.
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Frayne said seeing the magic in other people helped pick him up when he was feeling low after illness had taken a toll on his mental health.
The 40-year-old explained that illness prevented him from performing magic for a time, which left him wondering what the point of his existence was.
However, through it all he remained resilient and is hoping that he'll be able to inspire other people through similarly tough times, though hopefully they won't have to literally bury themselves alive to come through it.
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"It's crazy. Because when I first decided I wanted to do that I didn't actually care if I got out," Frayne said of the moment he made the decision to bury himself alive on TV.
"It almost symbolised where my head was at. My nana had just died, my dogs had died, and I was like, 'What is the point in my life?'"
Fortunately he's now feeling 'quite excited to be alive' and is looking forward to people seeing what he's been working on.
He said: "But now I've gone on this journey this last few years, I've found myself again. I've found loads of exciting magic that I've got. There's magic I didn't even get a chance to film for this show that I want people to see.
"So I already I'm excited for things to come up after this show, but the problem is I've committed now, I've kinda gotta stick myself in the ground. I've got a lot of reasons to get out, but I think I'm gonna need that fight, I need that fight to get myself out of that hole."
We wish him the best of luck, though we're sure he'll be fine.
Dynamo is Dead will be available to watch live on Sky Max and streaming service NOW on 14 December.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service.
Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film, Mental Health
Joe Harker