Derren Brown's Biography

Derren Brown was born on 27 February 1971 in Croydon.

Derren Brown studied Law and German at Bristol University, but started exploring his ability at magic, which he turned into a specialism that he finds difficult to label.

According to the Channel 4 website, which has lots of good information and footage of Derren Brown:

"Derren says that there is no real name for what he does, though it has some characteristics of what other performers call 'mentalism'.

"'The thing people tend to call me is a psychological illusionist,' he says. 'I suppose I employ a variety of different techniques and approaches to what I do but it's mainly a mix of hypnosis, magic and the power of suggestion. But then I prefer to avoid labels. I started off as a hypnotist but I didn't want to perform it professionally, even though I had a real interest in it ... Then I did some magic for a while but, rather than doing sleight-of-hand things, I became more interested in psychological techniques and veered more and more into that area.'"

Derren Brown's major breakthrough came when he was commissioned by Channel 4 to do the first "Derren Brown: Mind Control", which was transmitted in December 2000.

Derren Brown's official website features thumbnails of his excellent caricature-style portraits.

If it wasn't obvious from his programmes, it is not difficult to see from the quality of his portraits that Derren Brown has a strong ability to read faces.

Since Mind Control, Derren Brown has hosted a number of Channel 4 specials including The Heist, The Gathering, Messiah, and Seance.

In 2008, Channel Four broadcast the second series of Derren Brown: Trick or Treat.

As well as his TV work, Derren Brown also does extensive tours of the UK.

In September 2009, Derren Brown gained a great deal of publicity over his new Channel 4 project, The Events, including his attempt to predict at least 5 out of the 6 National Lottery balls correctly.

Derren Brown is not a psychic and does not claim to be one.

In 2010 he looked into psychics and mediums in his Channel Four series Derren Brown Investigates.

In May 2012, his show Derren Brown: The Experiments won the Bafta for best entertainment programme.

Further television specials followed including The Great Art Robbery and Pushed to the Edge.

In 2016, Derren Brown published Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine.