He's Like Chuck Norris, In A Way.

Seriously, what is it about Derren Brown? Is it the way he makes his bizarre tasks for audience members, like 'Hold my wrist whilst I suffocate myself' and 'Hey, help me pull this nail out of my skull', seem somehow weirdly intimate and sexual? Is it just mind control?

You know that South Park episode in which Stan says 'Nobody's really psychic, and I'm going to make you realise this by demonstrating psychic tricks and explaining how they're just tricks', and his audience react with 'THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S THE EXPLANATION, HE MUST REALLY BE PSYCHIC'? I felt sort of like one of Stan's stupid audience members when I was watching the Oracle act near the end of 'Evening of Wonders'. Because Derren Brown introduced it by saying, 'I do not believe that I have any form of psychic ability', and then he went and guessed that a man was thinking about shaving his scrotum.

Derren Brown, you freak, if you're not psychic what are you?

DERREN BROWN CAN GET YOU INTO BED WITH HIS FREAKY MIND POWERS

DERREN BROWN CAN PUNCH YOU WITH HIS BRAIN

DERREN BROWN CAN MAKE YOU FEEL ILL WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIM

DERREN BROWN CAN MAKE YOU FORGET IMPORTANT FACTS

DERREN BROWN CAN RENDER YOU UNABLE TO MOVE

IF YOU EVER SEE A DERREN BROWN, RUN FAR, FAR AWAY FROM HIM.