Who is Derren Brown’s Hero?

This evening, entertainer and mentalist Derren Brown embarks on what could be his most bizarre stunt show yet. We say ‘could’, partly because — due to the nature of the stunt, and the fact it will be conducted live — actual, real life information is a little hard to pin down.

The show seems to revolve around one person, selected by Brown and filmed using hidden cameras as he is conditioned to become a hero. Then, in the live show, he will be placed in a situation where he is called upon to take control of an airliner that, he believes, is about to fall out of the sky. So glad it’s going out on September 8, and not three days later…

Some video (with the identity of the “ordinary Joe” obscured):

And, from YouTube, the more conventional trailer:

According to the information on Brown’s blog:

I hope it’s a show that people take something from. We easily let life pass us by, and ultimately this is about engaging with life and understanding that it is the choices we make right now that define us, not what we’ve done in the past.

One unwitting volunteer gets to have a deep understanding of this, and for him to experience real and lasting change, I have to push him to the extreme.

If it’s in any way as entertaining as his previous TV special, Derren Brown is no doubt onto a winner… Everything kicks off tonight, Wednesday, September 8, at 10pm on Channel 4.