KNOWN professionally as Joel M, Joel Mawhinney is a magician, social media star and a former Blue Peter presenter.
Born in Bangor, Co. Down, he recently wowed crowds with his performance on America’s Got Talent – where he impressed the judges with a routine that saw him smash some of their most dearly loved personal items.
The Northern Irishman borrowed Howie Mandel’s phone, a framed photograph belonging to Sofía Vergara, and a bracelet belonging to Mel B during his performance.
He proceeded to smash the life out of them, much to their owner’s horror, before doing the inexplicable and locating each item once again in perfect condition.
It was a routine that saw him voted through to the next round of the competition and he made it to the judges houses stage before he left the process.
Now back home in Manchester, he describes his time in the show as one of the “most exhilarating experiences” of his career…
Joel Mawhinney hails from Bangor in Co. DownWe saw you performing on America’s Got Talent, what was that like?
It was definitely the most exhilarating experience I've had in a long time.
It's been a while since I've had so much on the line for one short performance.
I was definitely trying out something that pushed the boundaries of what I think has been done in terms of magic on TV.
It took me about three days to come back to reality afterwards. But overall, it was just such an amazing time.
Was it nerve-wracking to perform to such a large audience, as well as the formidable judging panel?
I've always absolutely loved performing in front of a crowd, so I wasn't too worried about that. I had the usual sort of pre-show adrenaline, but performing for the judges was a whole different thing.
It's been a long time since a big career break of mine has been in the hands of just four people, so I was definitely nervous about that.
My mind was racing with things that could go wrong, but beforehand, I just tried to relax and enjoy the experience, and it turned out pretty well. I'm just glad I didn't get buzzed off within five seconds!
What was it like performing for Emma Bunton at Mel B’s house?
Oh, my goodness, a complete dream. She was amazing and she was so, so helpful during the magic trick as well.
It's not often you get two Spice Girls in one room at the same time, let alone getting to borrow their personal belongings and put them inside a walnut!
Did you have a favourite judge?
I mean, I'm definitely biased, but I think Mel was absolutely lovely—really, really friendly and welcoming when we were at her house.
I have a lot of respect for all the judges, though, of course. Flattery will get you a long way!
Joel M addresses the judges during his America's Got Talent auditionHow did you feel about leaving the competition?
I was completely at peace with leaving the competition.
The goal for me was just to try something different, and whether I got through or not wasn't as important to me as trying my best and just trying to create something new.
Of course, it would have been lovely to go on further, but it's opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I'm grateful that I had the chance to be on such a big stage in the first place.
Will you keep in touch with anyone from the show?
I absolutely will, especially the folks that I competed with in the middle rounds.
We got to spend a lot of time together. It was extra amazing to spend some one-on-one time with the act Mind2Mind.
In my opinion, they are some of the greatest mind readers on the face of the planet. I got to spend a lot of time with those guys, and they are beyond lovely.
How much did your appearance on the show increase your fanbase?
It's really quite hard to tell. I haven't been in the States since the audition, which is where I imagine most of the new eyeballs came from.
On social media, it's impossible to know where people are coming from, and I don't tend to look at that sort of thing.
It has been fun, though, to hear people even as far back as Northern Ireland saying that they watched me on the show and saying really lovely things and also, for the first time in a while, being recognised as a magician again.
For the last four years, it's been 'Blue Peter presenter', which was absolutely amazing, but it feels like I'm back to my roots.=
You first came to our screens on Blue Peter – did you always want to follow the magician's path?
Absolutely, being a magician has always been the long-term goal.
I did it for six years full-time before I took on the job as a Blue Peter presenter, so getting back to this feels completely normal. I'm right at home.
Magician Joel M says he has plenty more up his sleeve - so watch this space!Blue Peter was the opportunity of a lifetime and I loved every single second, but it's time to get back to why I started this in the first place.
How did you get from there to here?
I think ultimately, I've been handed the good fortune of having a lot of very supportive family and friends, and a lot of great opportunities have come my way.
I think probably starting young gave me a head start. I've been doing magic since I was five and had my first jobs when I was 11.
So I'm one of those lucky few who knew what they wanted to do early on, but I take none of it for granted. If I can continue doing what I'm doing now for the rest of my life, I'd be very, very happy.
What can we expect next from you?
I have some very, very exciting things in the works. I'm not allowed to talk about them just yet, but definitely keep your eyes peeled.
The plan is to stick with magic, to see how far I can push the limits there, and to enjoy myself.
As I say, magic was my first love, and if I can just keep doing that every single day, I'll be a very happy boy.
Where is home in Ireland for you?
Home for me in Ireland is Bangor.
I actually moved over to Manchester, but I go back to Northern Ireland once every month or so. I have the joy of staying with my parents, where I'm absolutely spoiled.
What is your favourite place in Ireland?
Again, I think it probably has to be Bangor, just because of the people I know there.
I did live in Belfast for five years, so that place lives super fondly in my heart and I absolutely love it - so many good memories.
But there's nothing like sitting on a parent's sofa with a cup of tea and a fire going, and no sound of crazy road traffic, which I'm used to in big city centres.
How is life in Manchester?
It's absolutely amazing; you'd have to be very boring to be bored here.
Everything you could ever really want to do is on your doorstep.
The only problem has been lorries arriving at 6am right beside your bedroom window and waking you up.
Aside from that, it's a pretty cool place. But I also miss the Northern Irish accent!
What is the best lesson life has taught you?
It's hard to pick just one thing, but I would say the one piece of advice that changed my life the most was that if you chase two rabbits, you won't catch either.
I decided early on that I was going to give magic my full focus, and that's worked out better for me than I ever could have imagined.
Pick something you really love and do that, and it really won't feel like work.
And realise that if somebody else has done something, there's a very good chance you can do it too.
I never thought any of the things that have happened to me would have been possible, and here I am.
I'm so grateful for that. I believe anybody else could really stand a good chance of achieving their dreams if they follow them.
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