Who is the (French?) man who swallows and regurgitates items at will?

December 2, 2004 2:38 PM

In around 1986/87 (+/- two years), I saw an edition of The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross (failed UK attempt to copy the Letterman chat show format). One of his guests that night was a freakish guy, possibly French, who swallowed things and then extracted them through his stomach. So, he'd swallow some string, then stick a skewer or something through his stomach wall, and hook out the string. Yes, it was that disgusting.
1. Was this real or an illusion? From what I can remember, there were close-ups and it didn't look like it was being faked.
2. Who was this man?
posted by humuhumu to Science & Nature (6 answers total)

David Blaine does the same trick. Here's how the trick is done.
posted by Juicylicious at 2:54 PM on December 2, 2004

Best answer: The Amazing 'ORCHANTÉ'
Tom's first appearance on British television was in 1987, on a live, Nation-Wide Show called 'The Last Resort' - hosted by Jonathan Ross, who nearly redecorated the studio floor, when Tom performed his famed 'psychic surgery'
posted by milovoo at 2:57 PM on December 2, 2004

Response by poster: Milovoo, you're a star... I'd love to see it again because I'm sure it was no trick.
posted by humuhumu at 11:10 PM on December 2, 2004

I would say it definitely is a trick. Many, many methods for this are to be found in various books in the magic community. It's all showmanship.
posted by splice at 7:20 AM on December 3, 2004

There was another illusionist I saw on some show (not Ripley's, but a similar "that's incredible!" type of weekly program) who swallowed things and then coughed them back up. Things like a cup of flour, chased by a cup of water, and then he regurgitated a cup of (dry) flour and then the cup of water. Any ideas?
posted by Alt F4 at 10:57 AM on December 3, 2004

I saw a guy who swallowed a Rubik's cube, pressed on his stomach a few times, and then coughed it back up showed it had been turned. Think that was in fact on That's Incredible.
posted by kindall at 1:35 PM on December 3, 2004