He might have won a BAFTA and count TV stars Derren Brown and Joe Pasquale among his friends.
But magician John Archer has something up his sleeve… his faith in God.
The CBBC star, whose popular show ‘Help! My Supply Teacher’s Still Magic’ has won various awards, is a committed Christian who is sure to shine his light wherever he goes.
Archer, 53, told New Life: “John 3:16 just sums up what being a Christian’s about for me – ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.’ Evangelism is about loving people and being Christ-like. They’re much more likely to want to know what you’re about if you’re showing Christ. It’s about loving people into the kingdom. Once people like you, they want to know why they like you.”
The comic admitted he shares his faith with his famous friends but is quick to point out that we’re all equal before God.
“I don’t consider sharing with a famous person any more important than sharing with the man on the street,” he said.
“I’ve had conversations with Joe Pasquale and Bobby Davro but it’s important to remember that everybody’s in a different place in their life. So you talk to them as much as you can when it feels right and meet them where they are.
“I’m not about forcing it down people’s throats. I’ve met people who are active atheists. I’d rather live my life loving people like God does in John 3:16 then people walk away thinking I’m a nice guy and find out later that I’m a Christian which might give them pause for thought.”
The father-of-three’s impressive resume attracts high praise, with top magician Derren Brown branding him ‘hysterically funny’.
His unique mix of comedy and magic has won him awards from the Magic Circle and saw him win a trip with comedy duo Penn and Teller to Las Vegas. But John remembers what it was like to not know where the next cheque was coming from.
“The main thing that my faith has helped me with is when I’ve had breaks between jobs and I’ve not known where the next booking is coming from,” he said.
“It’s when your car breaks down or you get an unexpected bill that your faith is tested, but I can honestly say that God has never let me down. I’ve never had to worry because the work has always come in – it’s good to know that God’s already taken care of it.”