Former Blue Peter Presenter Stuns America’s Got Talent Judges With a High-Risk Magic Trick

Former Blue Peter presenter Joel Mawhinney left the America’s Got Talent judges completely stunned after performing one of the most daring magic tricks of his career—appearing to smash their prized possessions with a hammer before making them mysteriously reappear.

Known professionally as Joel M, the magician took a major risk during his audition by entering the judges’ dressing rooms and borrowing several personal items. Among them were a bracelet belonging to Mel B, a framed photograph of Sofia Vergara’s dog, and Howie Mandel’s mobile phone.

What happened next left the judges—and the audience—wondering whether the magician had gone too far.

“Everything That Disappears Must Reappear”

With a hammer in hand, Mawhinney appeared to destroy the judges’ treasured possessions in front of them. But, as he reminded the panel during the performance, “Everything that disappears must reappear.”

Mandel’s phone was eventually discovered inside a locked box that had been sitting in front of the judges throughout the audition. The phone then began receiving text messages from Mawhinney, revealing the surprising locations of the other missing items.

Vergara’s framed photograph of her dog was found hidden inside her seat cushion, while Mel B’s bracelet was revealed to be concealed inside one of the famous red Got Talent buzzers.

The dramatic reveal left the judges visibly shocked.

“I don’t know how you do it. I believe in magic, but I loved it,” Mel B said before voting yes.

Vergara also praised the performance, calling the magic “very impressive” and adding that although she was unsure whether the extreme approach was necessary, it was certainly exciting.

A Divided Verdict From the Judges

Not every judge was convinced.

Howie Mandel described Mawhinney as charming and praised his appearance and personality, but ultimately voted no, criticizing the length of the performance and saying it was too slow.

Simon Cowell also agreed that the audition was too long, warning that such a performance would be difficult to stage during a live show.

However, Cowell ultimately gave the magician a yes, explaining that the show’s audience loves magic.

With three yes votes, Joel Mawhinney successfully advanced to the next stage of the competition and remains in the running for the grand cash prize.

“I Just Thought, You Might as Well Go for It”

Speaking about the audition on the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme, Mawhinney admitted that he had no idea exactly what he would find when he entered the judges’ dressing rooms.

“I knew the plan was to take prized possessions, or whatever I could find, but it just so happened that the jewellery was there,” he explained.

The magician also revealed that he normally avoids borrowing personal items during his performances.

“It’s a hard and set rule that if I’m performing magic, I don’t borrow possessions of people,” he said. “I don’t like taking phones. I don’t like borrowing rings because I’ve just heard so many horror stories.”

But America’s Got Talent was different.

“I thought, it’s America’s Got Talent, I have to do something. So I sort of went for it.”

From Blue Peter to the World of Magic

Mawhinney, who comes from Bangor in Northern Ireland, first appeared on Blue Peter in 2018 before becoming the iconic children’s programme’s 41st presenter.

After spending more than three and a half years on the show, he announced that he was leaving in July to focus on his career as a magician.

Producers had reportedly been inviting him to audition for America’s Got Talent since 2020. However, Mawhinney admitted that he initially viewed the opportunity as a “massive risk” and repeatedly trusted his instinct to say no.

That changed after leaving Blue Peter.

“I wanted to establish myself as a magician again, because that’s what I’m doing now,” he said. “And I thought, you might as well kick the whole thing off with something a bit extreme, so I’ll fly to the States and do that.”

Blue Peter Live-TV Experience Helped Him Stay Calm

Despite describing the audition as the most nervous he had felt in a long time, Mawhinney believes his experience presenting live television helped him handle the pressure.

“The live training of Blue Peter meant I would’ve really struggled in that audition because there were so many different elements going on at once,” he said.

“I’m really glad I did it, but yeah, it’s the most nervous I’ve been for quite a while because you’re putting yourself into a massive risky position.”

With his bold performance earning three yes votes, Joel Mawhinney has now taken his magic from children’s television to one of America’s biggest talent shows. And if his unforgettable audition is anything to go by, audiences may not have seen the last of his surprises yet.

What did you think of Joel Mawhinney’s high-risk magic trick? Share your thoughts in the comments.