Dynamo discusses his new show, Coronavirus and his battle with Crohn's Disease

6 April 2020

By Kevin Palmer @RealKevinPalmer 

Dynamo

He has already been on a long and painful health battle that took him to the brink and now magician Dynamo has revealed he has been fighting the coronavirus in recent weeks. 

As he prepares to return to our screens in his new three-part magic show for Sky One, Dynamo has confirmed that he has been struck down by Covid-19 in recent weeks, after he posted this message to his fans on social media.

Dynamo's struggle with Crohn's disease has been part of his life since he was a young teenager, his underlying health conditions mean the performer whose real name is Steven Frayne faced real danger when his positive test was confirmed.

"Over the last few weeks I've experienced symptoms such as persistent coughs and lots of aches and pains," he said. "I self-isolated for just over two weeks and took the necessary precautions. I was advised to take a private test.

"Now I appreciate that this not a possibility for everyone, this decision was made by me and my team for a number of reasons, first because of my existing health issues and the fact I'm on immuno-suppressant therapy, I'm at high risk.

"Secondly although I haven't a fever, my symptoms have been quite severe. And finally so that I was able to inform those I'd been in contact with so they could take their own precautions."I've had my results back and I have tested positive for COVID-19. This illness doesn't discriminate and can present itself in many different ways. We're all genuinely at risk.

"Touch wood my symptoms have been gradually decreasing day by day and I'm feeling better and better, I'm through the worst of it and I'm staying positive. But please please stay at home. Keep away from others, tend to yourselves your loved ones."

Dynamo's latest health problems came after the 37-year-old entertainer had to take time away from the limelight as his Crohn's disease flared up and before the coronavirus crisis gripped the world, he sat down for an interview with FemaleFirst in London and he gave us an insight into his ongoing health problems.

"I always said that I didn't want to be defined by my illness and tried to get on with my life, but it wasn't easy to do that as my illness overcame me," he told us. "I've been battling Crohn's for a long time and when I was a bit younger and not in the public eye, it may have been easier to go away and sort it out, but my fans were surprised when they saw the change in my appearance and the extra weight I have put on so I had to come out and talk about it.

"This was the first time that it got so bad that I needed to have medication that caused a change in my body and I couldn't hide it any more. People were taking photos of me and saying I'd let myself go, so I had to explain what was going on.

"It also affected my magic. There were certain things that I couldn't do physically with my hands especially, so to get to the point where I am now and we are here to talk about my new Sky One show is so exciting.

"There were times when I wondered if I would ever get back to doing what you want to do, but with the help of some fantastic people in the NHS in England and my physio, I am back now and have never been more excited about working again and doing my magic.

"I'd say I'm at 80 per-cent back to health now, but having Crohn's disease means you are never fully recovered. You just live with it.

"This is something I've lived with for so many years since I was 14 and I've never really liked to burden other people with it, but I've had so many position messages from other people with Crohn's thanking me for talking about it. 

"If me letting people know what I'm going through can help others, that's more important. That's a bigger legacy than any magic trick I can do."

The thrill of getting back to what he does best in his new show Beyond Belief was even more exciting given the journey he has been on, with his time away heightening his appetite for more outrageous tricks.

"It's great to get back to work with Sky and filming my magic all over the world has been such a relief after everything I have been through," he added. 

"When you have been through an experience like this, it makes you appreciate everything you have in your life so much more. I had to hit rock bottom to realise what I had. 

"It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the success I have enjoyed, but this setback certainly made me realise that I have to enjoy every minute of what I do.

"Now I am coming back with so many new magic tricks and ideas that have gone into my show Dynamo: Beyond Belief will air on Sky One and streaming service NOW TV from April 9th.