The Royal Variety Performance 2025 aired on Sunday night
Royal Variety Performance viewers were quick to claim they had ‘figured out’ magician Harry Moulding’s trick on Sunday night.
The ITV special returned to screens tonight, with host Jason Manford introducing a variety of guests including Jessie J, Paddington The Musical and Sir Stephen Fry.
One guest was Britain’s Got Talent winner Harry, who won the 2025 ITV series, securing the £250,000 prize and a spot at the Royal Variety Performance.
During his performance on Sunday night, 21 December, magician Harry performed a trick which involved several audience members. The magician insisted ahead of his trick: “It’s important you realise that nothing has been set up tonight in any way.”
After asking audience member Brian to think of a country and catch a balloon, Brian guessed Brazil. Brian was then instructed to pass the balloon behind him to which they were asked a question. This kept happening until Harry had all his answers.
Harry received the answer of Brazil from Brian, the time of 11:03am from June, the number 232 from Madeline and the word ‘brilliant’ from Kevin.
After the answers, Harry got Kevin to hold the balloon over his head, which had a piece of paper in it, and stand on a white cross.
Harry explained the piece of paper was a note he had written 30 minutes before the show to which he popped the balloon and got Kevin to pick up the paper.
The paper correctly predicted all the answers from the audience to which Harry revealed he had actually correctly guessed those answers a month ago to which a video played.
However, some viewers were quick to share their theories over how the trick had happened.
One person said: “Watching it again, the guy in the seat drops something on the floor before the balloon is popped. You can see the yellow paper fall from the balloon that they ignore and pick up the white piece the guy dropped.”
To which another account claimed: “He just dropped that note. #RoyalVarietyPerformance”, a different viewer put: “The way he selected the Brian man was too quick and contrived!”
Elsewhere, another show watcher added: “When a magician starts his act by saying ‘none of this is staged’ means that it totally is! #RoyalVarietyPerformance.”
The Royal Variety Performance 2025 is available to watch on ITV and ITV X.
