9 Unbelievable Magic Tricks on Britain’s Got Talent

The current season of Britain’s Got Talent is experiencing many talented acts including impressive magic performances. Here are three of the best magic tricks this season and some memorable ones you may remember from over the years.

Fraser Penman (2026)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPWFH5wtVAE (embed video link)

Fraser’s recent performance on the latest season captured the minds and hearts of audiences and judges. It wasn’t just about classic conjuring, it was a mind-reading or mentalism piece that blended empathy with illusion. He approached the judges with the air of someone about to uncover their innermost thoughts, then seemingly revealed what they were thinking or predicted choices that appeared impossible to foresee. The impact of this was heightened by the personal narrative he wove into the act, turning it into a statement about seeing the world differently.

What made this particularly memorable was the emotional resonance – Penman didn’t just perform a cold visual effect – he made the mind-reading feel deeply personal and impressive without relying on smoke and mirrors alone.

Rafferty Coope (2026)

Sixteen-year-old Rafferty’s act was a hybrid of magic and music, which is quite rare on the show. Rather than doing traditional card tricks or escapes, he integrated illusion with live musical performance, making his magic feel like it flowed from his personality rather than the props alone.

His smooth transitions between musical motifs and magical reveals gave the sense that his music was actively guiding the spectacle rather than just accompanying it. His creative flair and charm were recognised with a Golden Buzzer from judge KSI, which suggests it struck a strong emotional and entertainment chord with the audience and judges alike. His performance highlighted the importance of incorporating personality into magic to really make it stand out.

Jake Banfield (2026)

Jake’s performance leaned into emotive storytelling through magic. Instead of a purely technical routine, he brought his wife and daughter on stage – a deliberate choice that turned his act into something more like a narrative piece rather than a series of unrelated tricks.

His finale involved a moment that was designed to be touching and family-centred, using his personal relationships as part of the illusion. This kind of performance tends to resonate because it blurs the line between spectacle and heartfelt theatre, leaving a different kind of impression than pure sleight of hand.

Jack Rhodes (2024) 

Jack was the “nuclear scientist turned magician” who became notable for a smart, tongue-in-cheek mentalism trick involving pre-recorded predictions of what Simon Cowell would think. This act didn’t rely on flashy levitation or grand illusions – instead, it was a predetermined reveal of thoughts, with humour and character woven into the deception.

His style was clever because it didn’t just show a card or object appearing magically; it created the illusion that the show had already been written in advance, and the judges were merely walking into it. This blend of comedy, prediction and mind games is exactly what made that particular trick stand out in the 2024 series.

Enzo Weyne (2023)

Enzo is a French magician who appeared in the 2023 series.

In the semi-finals, Weyne performed a trick in which he placed host Dec in a box with a camera and had him stick his arms outside of the box, as he removed the central tunnel of the box. He then explained how there could be three solutions to how the illusion worked, before having three members of his crew exit the box and providing an explanation. He then seemingly concluded his trick, before the judges questioned where Dec was, as Weyne removed the box and showed a box filled with balls, as his assistant Megan exited the box, before the camera panned to reveal Dec in the live studio audience. 

Amanda remarked ‘It’s like you’re always always trying to kill the magic but you actually make the magic better by trying not to deceive us’, with Bruno adding ‘You show the magic behind the magic and it’s absolutely excellent’.

Magical Bones (2020)

Richard Essien (known as Magical Bones) is a street magician with a theatrical flair. In the 2020 series, he blended narrative and illusion into profound ‘magic moments’. One standout element of his act was the way he connected his tricks with themes of history and emotion, rather than just baffling the audience for its own sake. 

In the act, he revealed his inspiration behind magic – Henry Brown, a former slave who escaped by mailing himself to another part of America in a box, before moving to the UK and becoming a magician. Several people then entered the stage, including a blonde woman who stood next to the judges’ panel. A girl was then put in a glass box, with swords placed either side of her and a curtain placed around the box; Essien walked behind the curtain as the girl who had been trapped in the box simultaneously walked out. The curtain was then removed, revealing what appeared to be Essien in the box; however, this was then revealed to be the woman previously stood by the judges (now wearing Essien’s red jacket), with Essien standing besides the Judges wearing a different set of clothes. David praised him for his ‘powerful presence’, with Alesha adding ‘What you represent is so much bigger, and that just makes me feel so proud’.

Ben Hart (2019)

A finalist known for “pure magic” routines that blended theatricality with mind-bending illusions, often using everyday objects like tea or coins to create mystery.

His 2019 audition involved transforming confetti into a real egg, followed by a teleportation illusion where a selected audience member disappeared from a pod on stage and reappeared in another pod on the opposite side of the stage. 

Marc Spelmann (2018)

Known for his “supernatural” mentalism, Spelmann’s emotional performance incorporated a personal story, making him a standout Golden Buzzer act. 

He used a highly choreographed mentalism routine, relying on pre-show preparation, misdirection, and predicted choices to make it appear as though he predicted the judges’ random selections of a word, colour, and Rubik’s cube pattern. The trick was revealed to be a combination of psychological forcing, specially prepared props, and a pre-recorded video.

Issy Simpson (2017)

At just eight years old, Issy delivered a storybook-themed routine that felt like a miniature theatre piece rather than a single trick. Involving the judges, she appeared to predict freely made choices from a book, with objects and outcomes revealed exactly as foretold.

What made it memorable was the layered structure – each moment built towards a final reveal that suggested the ending had been decided long before the trick began. Calm, slightly witchy, and beautifully paced, her act showed how storytelling can elevate magic into an experience. And that magic can be performed by all ages and instill confidence from a young age.

Learn the Secrets Behind the Magic

Curious to learn the tricks behind the tricks? Why not try out a magic lesson with a professional magician?

Whether you want to learn magic yourself, with a friend or enroll your child for the summer holidays, Chris has the patience, expertise and real props to make it a worthwhile experience!

Book a slot with him and who knows, you may be able to spot the magician’s secret behind the trick next time!