Jamie Raven comes 2nd on Britain's Got Talent

[David Hawkins]

UK magician Jamie Raven performed a brilliant routine of classic close up magic, leaving the judges stunned but was beaten by a performing dog act.

http://youtu.be/RnVYAhxAPMw

Well done to Jamie - wonderful performance.

[Tom Moore]

A very interesting result with some important lessons to learn for all magicians

His semi-final performance went terribly wrong (it was a massive mistake to try and make a close-up magician in to a stage illusionist) and was widely ridiculed and yet his semi-final performance got the highest vote out of ANY of the semi-final performers in ALL the episodes this year.

His finale performance was much better (played material he was comfortable with so he was much calmer) and though it wasn't knuckle-busting stuff it was solid material and in the public vote he got 20.4% of the vote to the winner's 22.6%

Contrast that with the other magic acts in the live rounds this year who all got under 5% of public vote and even last year's "big breakout star" Darcy Oake who got 15% of the vote in his semi-final and 8% in the finale and the message is unquestionably clear - people voted for Jamie because they liked him not because of the material or props he chose. He's someone people /want/ to watch

[David Hawkins]

Turns out that Jamie was only beaten by 2% of the public vote, and the performing dog act that won actually used a second dog (unannounced) to perform some of the stunts.

[Q. Kumber]

Earlier today I posted the following on my Facebook page:

"I'm highly amused that so many magicians are bitching and moaning that Jamie Raven achieved second place in the final of BGT, while the winner was a dog.

How do you think the other acts feel being beaten by a magician?

Personally I am celebrating that a magician received so much positive exposure on the show. Three different appearances, each creating much media attention and controversy.

IMO, this has nothing to do with winning, which has very little to do with one's future career, but EXPOSURE, which is far more important. A very big tip of the hat to Russ Stevens (Jamie Raven's manager)."

[Joe Mckay]

Good to see lots of, cough, exposure for magic.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3105650/Britain-s-Got-Talent-final-leaves-bitter-taste-viewers-rumble-magician-Jamie-Raven-s-lemon-trick-did-it.html

[Brad Henderson]

when ever I see that word I'm reminded of what one pro musicians used to tell me: never forget, people die of exposure.

not meant to bea comment on this act. just a reaction to that word.

[Tom Moore]

Having your material exposed in the press has been an occupational hazard of being a magician for only the last 150 years or so; I can understand why it still surprises and shocks so many magicians.

Ironically though by all these magicians posting links to the article on other forums / websites / social media it's actually improving and boosting that page's ranking with search engines thus making it even easier for other people to stumble across; oh the irony. It is worth breaking one of the golden rules of the internet though by reading the bottom half of the page and the public comments; take out the obvious trolls and there's a healthy level of respect for the fact that he "tricked us" with something so simple and basic. As several people have pointed out the winner had to spend years training dogs to walk a tightrope, Jamie got to within a few thousand votes of the winner with $20 of props, a lemon with a hole in it and (more importantly) a whole heap of personality and charm that literally hundreds of thousands of people liked enough to be inspired to actually spend money voting for him.

There's so many lessons to be learnt from what's just happened, perhapse the biggest lesson being just how determined magicians are to not learn the right lessons

[Leo Garet]

Well said Q.Kumber. Although I don't think it's being "beaten by a magician" that's uppermost in the non-winners' minds. More likely a case of "Why didn't I win? I was the best."

The show makes me sick, but it's prime time telly and that counts for something. I think.
So, for me it's a good job well done.

Interesting that nobody is giving him credit for cutting a hole in the lemon during the trick. After all, when else (great grammar) could he have done it? The lemon was examined beforehand, wasn't it?

That's how I remember it anyway.

[Chas Nigh]

Maybe he should have covered it with his thumb.

[Jonathan Townsend]

? So did someone catch her switching the dogs?

[AJM]

See chapter 4 of Roberto Corgi's The Art of Switching Dogs.

[Brad Henderson]

? So did someone catch her switching the dogs?

that bitch!

[Ted M]

? So did someone catch her switching the dogs?

that bitch!

that misogynist!

[Jonathan Townsend]

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 89393.html

from the above article: "Britain’s Got Talent winner Jules O’Dwyer has revealed that her dog Matisse did not walk the tightrope during the show’s final, despite viewers thinking that he had."

So our guy could say he used a stunt lemon because his basket lemons are scared of money...

[Leo Garet]

See chapter 4 of Roberto Corgi's The Art of Switching Dogs.

And Marlo's Unpublished Mental Notes, undated, but I'm sure it precedes Mester Corgi's treatise.
Perhaps JR can confirm.

Or maybe it was The Wychwoods. Mark raffles might know.

[Richard Kaufman]

The real method for Jarrow's handling of the bill in Lemon is to punch the hole in with your thumb DURING THE TRICK while the lemon is in your pocket. The lemon is not prepared. That's why the hole in the lemon was so big: that's the diameter of his thumb.

I think the dog trainer should be immediately disqualified for switching animals. Talk about cheating!

[Q. Kumber]

I think the dog trainer should be immediately disqualified for switching animals. Talk about cheating!

What if a well known GENII columnist had done a substitution act with a twin?