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The moment I thought an Australia’s Got Talent act had gone wrong…

TV is a lot more dangerous in the room than watching from the safety of your couch.

It’s easy to accuse TV judges of being over the top.

Last night the judges appeared to get overwrought for Indonesian escape artist Demian Aditya when his sandbox escape appeared to go wrong.

When he did not emerge from being smothered by sand the crew began yelling “get him out!” and a sledgehammer was used to smash the glass. Surely these judges know Australia’s Got Talent is not going to air someone’s death on TV, so why the panic?

Not so fast…

I was in the audience for this episode recording. For a split second even I thought something had gone awry. But it was all part of the act. This was good old fashioned stage hoodwinking from everybody and I totally fell for it.

“Demian, if you didn’t die, I was just about to kill you. Oh my god, I was seriously in tears,” said Nicole Scherzinger.

Shane Jacobson said, “I don’t like you very much. It’s the ultimate compliment because I genuinely thought it had gone horribly wrong, so you can go to hell for that. I thought I was going to witness the death of someone and what I just witnessed is the birth of a great illusionist. Without a doubt the best illusion I’ve seen on this stage.”

Manu Fieldel added, “My heart was racing a thousand kilometres an hour and I had my phone in my hand for triple zero too.”

It’s the difference between being in a live audience -when something could potentially go wrong- to watching in the post-production safety of your own couch.

As Manu told me recently, “What you say is exactly the difference. If you see it Live, you don’t know what is going to happen.

“(But a tragedy) wouldn’t make it on TV.”

Aditya has previously been an illusionist on America’s Got Talent performing the same act, before being brought to Australia by producers.

His act works every time for those who have never seen it, whether TV judges or cynical critics.

10 Responses

  1. After reading lots of comments from various sources because I don’t watch the show, it seems the wife’s false overacting was the main thing that upset people.

  2. Why the fuss about Nationality? Are we surprised when our MP’s are not Aussies or that the members of our National Sporting teams don’t know the meaning of “girt”?
    Australia’s Got Talented Visitors”.

  3. So the guy is a paid import from Indonesia who has previously been on America’s Got Talent. Sort of defeats the purpose of the show title doesn’t it?

    1. I’ve filed on imported acts before, as it is new in this region. Got Talent has international acts around the world (including Aussies overseas). They aren’t paid, but flights, hotels, per diems are covered, just as they are for interstate acts too.

  4. The danger is often staged in illusionist performances and they are hoaxes. Producers and sometimes even the authorities are told or made aware of the details of performances beforehand if there seems to be a risk to life. Illusionist accidents are not common. The most concerning performances are stunt performances, due to the many accidents and fatalities in the past.

  5. I knew he was okay, but only because it wouldn’t have made it to air if he wasn’t okay. The talent on display last night and on the series so far has been awesome. And Manu is a really good inclusion on the judging panel.

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