Britain’s Got Talent’s Matt Johnson reveals truth behind his escapology talent

Daredevil escapologist Matt Johnson has revealed more about his unique talent.

Saturday night saw the brand new series kick off and it does so with a true variety act.

We met 43-year-old Matt Johnson, who is originally from Rotherham but is currently living in Canada.

Matt performed an escapology trick, whilst locked and chained inside a tank filled with water.

It shocked the judges as he battled to free himself but eventually made it out alive.

Now Matt has shared what’s behind the act, opening up about his younger brother who has a condition called tuberous sclerosis.

It means Matt’s brother Jonathan suffers from seizures and can struggle to breathe.

“He has three or four seizures in a row. He can’t breathe and goes into a coma,” he told the Daily Mirror newspaper. “I’ve seen his lips go from pink to blue in front of my eyes. “

The dad of two said there was no magic trick behind his escape, telling how he trained himself to hold his breath in a pool every morning.

Matt says it’s all to help understand what his brother experiences and to raise awareness of the condition.

“I want to go through what he goes through,” he explained. “I have to put myself in a position where I can’t get out until it’s over, I can’t escape, which is like my brother when he escapes the seizure.”

After his audition on Saturday, Simon Cowell told Matt “That was unbelievable. Respect Matt.”

David Walliams agreed: “Huge respect for risking your life for our entertainment.”

And Amanda Holden applauded Matt for his bravery, before she and the other judges gave him a yes into the next round.

Other acts in the opening episode of Britain’s Got Talent included circus performer Sascha Williams who performed a Rola Bola acrobatic act.

We also met 10-year-old singer Calum Courtney and DVJ aka Diversity Junior, a dance group guided by Diversity’s Ashley Banjo.

Auditions continue next weekend with a brand new set of hopefuls wanting to make the live shows.

The lucky act who captures the heart and imagination of the British public will secure themselves an incredible £250,000 and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance 2018.

Britain’s Got Talent airs Saturday nights on ITV.