It was back in November 2010 that I first met Derren Brown.

I saw Svengali a couple of weeks ago…

Did you?

Where did you see it?

Yes here, I thought it was fantastic, absolutely brilliant.

Which I am not sure I agree with…

I wouldnt have thought so.

I read that too.

I thought, maybe, Has he been to the others?

I think it is probably a little lighter than others.

It is sort of part of it.

Well, there are two things.

Cold reading, yes!

Between being honest about that and then wanting to create an illusion.

I dont think there is an easy line.

There is no kind of template, there are some ways that I have found.

Then people are going to think, Well, that isnt what she did when I saw her!

I give myself more of a licence on stage I think.

It is a personal thing.

Do you get that when you watch it?

Because you are that honest about it, whether they are then almost trying to adjust themselves.

Dont give anything away if you are talking to Derren Brown.

Whereas they may not do that with other illusionists, because there isnt that same level of honesty?

People are perhaps second-guessing…

Do you mean people might be self conscious that I am reading them?

Yeah absolutely, you reading them…

Yeah it does happen.

I dont think about it, I dont play up to that in real life at all.

Then I figure that they get over that eventually, and I really dont think like that at all.

It is very nice.

All of that has been done, generally speaking.

It balances out ultimately, I suppose.

It is very little to do with me, it is just what they are taking from it.

You think, Who knows whats actually happened?

Exactly, exactly yes.

You have 1500 people to choose from at random…

I think it feels fairly natural.

It is just a different thing.

Whereas this is such a different starting point it wouldnt make any sense if I picked people.

The whole point of the show is a big audience participation thing.

It keeps it very fresh every night as well.

It keeps it alive, which is important.

It happened the night I came to seeSvengali.

Without giving too much away, what is it you look for?

Is there an instant something you spot?

How do you make those quick judgements?

Yeah, it depends a bit on what I am doing, and what the particular thing is.

It isnt about particular traits that I can use and others that I cant.

It will be for the specific thing that I am doing at that time.

No not at all!

There is no one answer, I suppose is what I am saying.

Your one-off television specials have always fascinated me.

Especially when you focus on one person or a small group of people.

Have you ever had any difficulty making those initial justifications?

So that is the bit they care about, where the show is going to go.

Sometimes it is fine.

We more say We are exploring this sort of area, and you soften it.

There are always options.

You just have a list of possibilities that you’re free to back up into.

That was ultimately my decision.

None of us wanted that.

Maybe a little bit.

I tend to emotionally detach.

I would have to kill it or get rid of it or do something!

Dont weird things happen?

In Enigma, there was this spirit cabinet thing, which is done quite a lot.

There is something about when someone says, Close your eyes for a bit.

There is something so simple in that.

It is not so much that it scares me personally, it just feels like its an uncanny thing.

It is quite a childlike thing.

Bit by bit, we lose it because we just come to understand what things are.

I dont think that is quite true, really.

I think the other thing with magic is that it is based on fraud and dishonesty.

Yes, there is something certainly childlike about it, that feeling of wonder at something.

It doesnt happen very often, and its a lovely feeling.

I loved your anecdote inConfessions Of A Conjurorabout meeting Hugh Grant.

Who would you invite, perhaps, bearded or otherwise?

One on one would be a little different.

Sometimes there is a crossover with people who are famous.

I just had lunch with the McFly boys, and they are so…

There is no sort of ego involved, which is what you want, isnt it?

And of course, when you meet them, they are not like that at all.

They are fairly disappointing sort of versions of that, versions of their work.

It made it difficult to go back and enjoy the music as much again.

Derren Brown, thank you very much.