Derren Brown: The Events
Four specials of illusion and psychological stunts.
Derren Brown: The Events is a Channel 4 series starring the illusionist Derren Brown. It was recorded in front of a live studio audience and consists of four hour-long specials, each building toward a major stunt. Brown described these as "some of the most incredible feats to date." The show combines pre-recorded location segments with theatre-based links.
The first trailer showed Brown speaking in reverse while walking forward, with everything around him moving normally. It contained seemingly cryptic messages, such as links to a Manchester United website. When played forward—with Brown now moving in reverse—the advert revealed the series' premise: Brown would explain the "inner workings" of his tricks and "show you how to get away with it."
**Event 1: How to Win the Lottery** The first show aired live on 9 September 2009. Brown appeared to predict that night's lottery draw. White balls were lined up facing a wall, next to a TV showing a live feed of the BBC One draw. After the draw, Brown wrote the results on a card, then turned the balls around to reveal that both the numbers on the balls and the card matched. The winning numbers were 2, 11, 23, 28, 35, and 39; the bonus ball was 15, but Brown’s prediction did not include it.
A second show on 11 September outlined three possible ways to win the lottery. The first—faking a winning ticket—was quickly dismissed. The rest of the programme focused on Brown’s use of automatic writing and crowd psychology to appear to predict the numbers. Through experiments and explanations of complex psychology (while avoiding the underlying maths), Brown suggested he might have used the "Wisdom of Crowds" phenomenon. He revealed 24 volunteers who, after several sessions, apparently predicted the correct numbers by scanning a board of past lottery results and using automatic writing. The show ended with a brief description of how the lottery could have been rigged, though Brown stressed this would be illegal and that he would always call the stunt a trick.
This explanation drew heavy criticism from the press and academics. A journalist in *The Times* wrote: "Derren Brown turns from most intriguing man on television to the most irritating." Publicist Max Clifford said the stunt would have "put millions on [Brown's] value in the years to come." Philosopher A C Grayling commented that "the hour-long 'explanation' was itself a
- field
- Illusionism, psychological entertainment
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- The Events television series on Channel 4
Lore & Background
The first trailer for the series featured Brown speaking in reverse while walking forward, with events around him happening forward. Cryptic messages were hidden in the advert, including links to a 'Manchester United' website. When played forward, the advert revealed the premise: Brown would show the 'inner workings' of his tricks and 'how to get away with it'.
The first event, broadcast on 9 September 2009, appeared to show Brown predicting that night's lottery draw. He wrote the results on a card after the draw, then turned white balls around to reveal matching numbers. The winning numbers were 2, 11, 23, 28, 35 and 39, though the bonus ball (15) was not included. A follow-up show on 11 September described three possibilities for winning the lottery, focusing on automatic writing and crowd psychology, but the 'Wisdom of Crowds' explanation received negative criticism from the press and academics. Camelot congratulated Brown on his 'illusion' and reminded the public it was 'impossible to affect the outcome of the draw'.
Reader's Guide
The series attracted widespread attention and debate. The lottery trick prompted alternative explanations including a split-screen camera trick or a false wall; a Guardian poll suggested a split screen was most likely. Philosopher A C Grayling wrote that the hour-long explanation was itself a trick. Publicist Max Clifford remarked the stunt would have 'put millions on [Brown's] value'. The second event attempted to 'control the nation' by inducing an inability to stand, using a film of rotating lines and subliminal messages. The third event involved a remote viewing experiment where 30–35% of participants drew concentric circles, which matched the hidden painting; the painter was revealed to be at Stonehenge. The fourth event saw Brown attempt to beat roulette using ball and wheel trajectory, but he made an incorrect prediction, betting on black 8 while the winning number was red 30. Brown later called it an 'epic fail' in a self-deprecating YouTube video.
Did You Know?
- The first trailer showed Brown speaking in reverse but walking forward, with events around him happening forward.
- The lottery prediction did not include the bonus ball, which was number 15.
- A stage hand was visible at the end of the casino episode holding a large cheque for £180,000.
- Brown revealed the third show was recorded three weeks previously and that he had placed adverts in major newspapers to influence viewers to draw concentric circles.
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