Dynamo's rocky ups and downs - health struggle, dog's tragic accident and return
He's known for levitating above skyscrapers and 'walking on water', but what Dynamo has up his sleeve next is his biggest stunt yet.
The world-famous magician has made a huge comeback to TV with Dynamo Is Dead - which sees the 40-year-old dig his own grave and bury himself alive - live on Sky Max. During tonight's two-hour special, the magician's journey is told through powerful conversations with celebrities including Cara Delevingne, skateboarder Tony Hawk and musician Chris Martin - teaching them new tricks along the way.
Dynamo opens up about his mental health and break from the spotlight which marked a difficult period in his life. He is questioned about whether or not he wants to continue in his profession after losing an important person in his life. Here, we take a look at his ups and downs from his debilitating health problem and his heartbreaking loss.
Celebrity magician Dynamo is back (PA)Dynamo, whose real name is Steven Frayne, knows a thing or two about overcoming the impossible. But the one thing he doesn't have a magic solution to is his health.
The star continues to battle his incurable and debilitating Crohn's disease - a condition that causes inflammation of the stomach lining - and with it comes a host of painful side effects. He was diagnosed at 15 with the crippling condition following symptoms of diarrhoea, pain, fatigue and weight loss.
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Three years later, he had a life-saving operation where half of his stomach was removed following a burst abscess. The illusionist told the Mirror in 2016: "Having Crohn's is a trial but I am determined not to let it hold me back.
"If you've got Crohn's then you just have to get on with it, deal with the negative things that come with it, and not let it change the happiness in your life. You can't help it; it's what it is. It's more about affecting the comfort levels of your life. It can be incredibly restrictive, and I know some people with it who can't even leave the house. And that is so sad."
To manage his hereditary disease, which his nan also had, at one stage he was taking 23 tablets a day and has been forced to shun a conventionally healthy lifestyle, avoiding hard-to-digest food like fruit and vegetables. He also manages the condition by banning gluten, dairy, and fat from his diet.
Dynamo performs card trick with Chris Eubank Jr backstage in 2018 (Getty Images for Haymaker Promotions)Instead, he lives off a controlled diet of chicken, mashed potato and pasta, and has regular vitamin injections to counteract those his body cannot naturally absorb. In a 2018 interview with The Sun, he revealed that he was once hospitalised for two weeks after eating some popcorn and said he wakes up in 'excruciating pain' nearly every day.
Aside from playing tricks at work, Dynamo is a huge dog lover and was left devastated when his beloved pooch Bunty fell 30ft from his third-floor window. Thankfully he survived the drop thanks to the help of TV supervet, Noel Fitzpatrick.
The Newfoundland underwent months of operations and treatments and was nursed back to health before returning to Dynamo's North London home, where he lives with his wife Kelly. A source said: "It was a horrible accident. Dynamo was out and Kelly was left with the dog indoors while she popped outside for a couple of moments.
"The next thing she knew, Bunty had jumped head-first out of an open bedroom window and crashed onto the pavement below, whining in agony." Dynamo adopted Bunty in April 2016 after his German Shepherd Bessie died.
Opening up about the reasons behind his break and major comeback to TV, with his last show in 2020, Dynamo detailed a major moment that shifted his focus. His nana, who was like a mother to him, passed away just over a year ago.
"It crushed me," he told Metro.co.uk, adding: "My mum had me young, and my nana was my second mum. When she died, I felt like the magic in me died with her. I felt like I didn't have a reason to live. My grandpa taught me magic and got me into it.
"But my nana was the one who took me to the magic shop, nurtured me, and took me to magic conferences and magic competitions." He also explained that his break was not only because he had lost his spark and passion, but also because he was physically unable to continue due to his Crohn's disease 'plaguing' him for years.
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The combination of his health turmoil and huge loss took a toll on his mental health, with him devastatingly seeing no point in his life. In The Diary of a CEO podcast, the trickster bravely opened up about how he contemplated ending it all in November 2020 before his wife found him in a dog bed.
He sought help with therapy and now feels that his time on TV will look different, having undergone a 'rebrand' to reflect his new perspective. Even considering dropping his stage name as part of the move, he added: "Maybe it's time to put Dynamo to rest with Nana and move forward to something new."
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Dynamo is Dead will air live on Sky Max tonight at 9pm.
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