Magician Dynamo reveals how a flare up with his Crohn's disease after eating a raw piece of chicken left him trapped in a 'vicious circle' of self-harming and feeling like he 'lost the will to live'

Dynamo has revealed how a flare up in his Crohn's disease after he ate a piece of undercooked chicken led to years of hospital stays and depression which left him unable to perform.

The magician, whose real name is Steven Frayne, said problems with his medication saw his life to spiral into a 'vicious circle', as he felt physically well enough to perform but lost all pleasure from his work.

'You take magic away from a magician and you lose your sense of purpose,' he told The Sunday Times. 

In an emotional interview, the 40-year-old revealed he began to self-harm and suffered an identity crisis, telling the newspaper: 'The last five years, maybe even longer, I've at times lost the will to live.'

After nearly four years off the nation's TV screens, with his last show airing in early 2020, Dynamo is now making a comeback with a new one-off show, titled Dynamo Is Dead.

The programme will lift the lid on the magic star's mental health struggles, and is also set to involve a live segment where he will be buried under five tonnes of soil. 

'Right now I feel happy to be alive. Albeit … I'll be ultimately happier when I come out of that grave. Touch wood,' he said, smiling.

Diagnosed with Crohn's, an inflammatory bowel disease, while in his teens, Frayne had to have half his stomach removed and lived in excruciating pain for years.

He turned to magic to distract himself from his health struggles, and became a household name in 2011 and gained fame from his incredible street performances, card tricks and stunts.

But his chronic illness has plagued him throughout that time, and flared up in 2017 after he ate a piece of raw chicken at a fast-food chain.

He disappeared from public view before opening up about the impact of it months later, telling fans he had been hospitalised with a combination of Crohn's disease and food poisoning.

The performer revealed he was still dealing with the side effects of his steroid medication, including arthritis affecting his hands, knees, toes, ankles and neck. 

Frayne said that that at times it got so bad that he was 'unable to shuffle a pack of cards'.

He vowed that he would return to magic, and said he was working with 'doctors and  physio and doing everything in my power to get to 100 per cent.'

He made a three-part mini-series in 2019, which saw him carry out jaw-dropping magic tricks as well as discuss his road to recovery after his career-threatening illness. 

But Frayne was still battling mental health struggles, and told The Sunday Times that his wife encouraged him to get help after 'self-harming incidents', and he began therapy in November 2020.

Tragically, in the midst of his depression, he then lost his great-grandmother. Impacted by grief, he said he locked himself away and became 'scared to go out'.

Now, Frayne told the newspaper, he is emerging from the 'doom' and slowly returning to public life with his new show.

Dynamo is Dead will feature the magician's mind-boggling stunts as well as famous faces such as Cara Delevingne and Tyson Fury.

Frayne said he thinks it will be his 'final act' under the stage name of Dynamo, admitting he feels the need to 'move on'. 

The show airs on Sky Max and Now at 9pm on Thursday.