How Did Derren Brown Really Predict The Lottery?

Split Screen

While the viewer’s attention was held by Brown the producers cut to a pre-recorded shot of the left side of the screen where the balls were. An unseen assistant printed the numbers onto the balls before the producers removed the screen for Brown to show his ’success’. 

Many Possible Outcomes

has said that planning the trick took a whole year of his life, causing people to think that  he filmed short clips of himself unveiling thousands of different predictions, which could be retrieved and broadcast as soon as the balls were drawn. He also claimed he only wanted to predict five of the six balls shrinking the possible combinations by thousands.

Spray paint

The prediction balls were facing away from the screen while the BBC results were being announced. Speculators say they could have painted the winning numbers on with some kind of long-distance but highly accurate spray gun.

Projection

Similar to the spray paint theory, but with a very accurate and very complex projector behind the camera throwing the numbers onto the prediction balls.

Power of suggestion

In previous shows Brown has made bookies believe he’s won just by acting confident. Could he ahve fooled the whole nation though? Even after we’ve watched it on YouTube a million times.

He had already seen the results

The BBC played along with the trick and drew the balls early enough for Derren to print the correct numbers on the balls before broadcasting the lottery and Derrens show at the same time.